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FOUR  YEARS 


AMONG 


SPANISH- AMERICANS. 


By  f.  hassaurek, 

LATE  U.  S.  MINISTER  RESIDENT  TO  THE  REPUBLIC  OF  ECUADOR. 
AUTHOR  OF  “SECRET  OF  THE  ANDES,”  ETC. 


FOURTH  EDITION. 


CINCINNATI: 

ROBERT  CLARKE  & CO. 
1892. 


BOSTON  COLLEGE  LIBRARY 
CHESTNUT  HILL,  MASS. 
NOV  1 5 1986 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1867,  by 
F.  IIassaurek, 

Id  the  Clerk’s  Office  of  the  District  Court  for  the  District  of  Ohio 

F 


362525 


il  \M 
■ H 


PREFACE. 


Considering  the  rapid  multiplication  of  books  in 
every  branch  of  science  and  literature,  it  has  always 
been  my  opinion  that  no  new  book  should  be  written 
unless  the  author  nas  something  new  to  say,  or  unless 
he  can  present  something  already  known  in  a new  and 
original  light. 

Of  Spanish-America  but  little  is  known  among  us 
at  present.  Our  reading  public  probably  knows  more 
of  China  or  Japan,  than  of  such  countries  as  the 
interior  of  Colombia,  Ecuador,  Peru,  and  Bolivia. 
Scientific  men  of  great  celebrity  have  acquainted  us 
with  the  geographical  and  geological  features  of  the 
Andean  valleys  and  table-lands ; but  they  have  told  us 
but  little  concerning  the  character,  the  social  and 
domestic  life,  the  political  institutions  and  troubles  of 
the  inhabitants.  In  this  respect,  I believe  I have  had, 
to  a great  extent,  an  unexplored  field  before  me ; and 
1 flatter  myself  that  the  following  pages  contain  many 
observations  and  valuable  items  of  ethnological  and  his- 
torical  information  which  cannot  be  found  in  any  of 
the  comparatively  few  English  books  on  Spanish-Amer- 


IV 


PREFACE 


Tliis  is  not  a book  of  travels.  The  impressions  of 
a traveller  in  a foreign  country,  who  passes  from  one 
place  to  another,  taking  hasty  notes  of  undigested 
observations,  are  often  erroneous, ^anj__gmiyrallyjmre^ 
liable.  It  is  mecessatyToTTive  amonc*  a people,  to 
speak  their  language,  to  know  their  history  and  litera- 
ture', to  study  their  customs,  and  to  associate  with  them 
continually,  in  order  to  be  able  to  write  a book  about 
them  which  those  who  are  thoroughly  familiar  with 
the  subject  will  not  throw  aside  as  presumptuous  and 
superficial. 

I have  left  many  warm  friends  in  South  America, 
friends  whose  uniform  courtesy,  attention,  and  kindness 
to  me,  I shall  never  cease  to  appreciate.  Some  of  them, 
I am  afraid,  will  object  to  certain  passages  in  this  book 
as  an  uncharitable  return  of  hospitality.  But  to  do 
good,  the  truth  must  be  told.  Vattel  very  properly 
pronounces  it  to  be  the  duty  of  every  nation  to  know 
itself.  To  acquire  a sufficient  knowledge  of  itself, 
however,  a nation  should  wish  occasionally  to  u see 
itself  as  others  see  it.”  I have  “ extenuated  nothing,” 
but  I have  “ set  down  naught  in  malice.”  I feel  for 
those  unfortunate  countries,  and  the  memory  of  the 
friends  I have  left  there  shall  ever  be  dearly  treasured 
up  in  my  heart.  But  if  the  following  pages  were  to 
have  any  merit,  I had  to  describe  South  America  as  I 
found  it  and  not  as  I wished  it  to  be. 

THE  AUTHOR. 

Cincinnati,  August  23 d,  1867. 


PREFACE  TO  THIRD  EDITION. 


That  after  a lapse  of  eleven  years  a demand  should 
have  arisen  for  a new  edition  of  this  work,  is  highly 
gratifying,  not  only  to  the  vanity  of  the  author,  but 
also  as  a symptom  of  reviving  interest  in  the  countries 
known  under  the  name  of  Spanish  America.  Those 
countries  have  never  received  their  legitimate  share  of 
public  attention.  And  yet  they  abound  in  problems  of 
absorbing  interest  and  importance  for  the  scientist,  the 
speculative  philosopher,  and  the  practical  business  man. 
Their  past,  and  especially  that  of  Ecuador  and  Peru, 
furnishes  inexhaustible  mines  of  tragic  materials  for 
the  poet,  the  novelist,  or  the  historian.  Some  of  those 
materials  I have  worked  into  a romance,  “ The  Secret 
of  the  Andes' ' published  in  1879,  the  flattering  recep- 
tion of  which  may  have  contributed  to  cause  the  pres- 
ent demand  for  a new  edition  of  this  book. 

Since  the  publication  of  the  first  and  second  editions, 
in  1869  and  1870,  the  Republic  of  Ecuador  has  been  vis- 
ited by  violent  earthquakes,  both  physical  and  political. 
Ex-President  Garcia  Moreno,  who  plays  an  important 
part  in  the  following  pages,  has  been  assassinated,  and 
a new  generation  has  stepped  into  the  places  of  those 
with  whom  it  had  been  my  lot  to  associate.  But  the 
changes  have  been  only  in  name.  The  essential  condi- 
tion of  society  has  remained  the  same,  and  will  so  re- 
main, until  time  and  in-migration  shall  change  the  ele- 
ments  Qj^v^ich  th at  socieryM^  this  rea- 

son it  has  not  been  necessarjHRT  make  any  changes  or 
corrections  in  the  book  which  is  now  re-submitted  to 
the  American  public.  The  Author. 

Cincinnati,  March  31,  1881. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

PAGI 

Arrival  in  Ecuador.  — The  City  of  Guayaquil.  — Its  Aspect.  — 

North  American  Enterprise.  — Old  and  New  City. — Wooden 
Buildings.  — Palm-trees,  Goats,  and  Gallinazos.  — Fortifications 
and  Barracks.  — Balsas  — A Floating  Population.  — Climate  and 
Temperature.  — Dry  and  Rainy  Season.  — Distant  View  of  Mount 


Chimborazo 1 

CHAPTER  II. 

Ancient  History  of  Guayaquil.  — Pirates  and  Buccaneers.  — Confla- 


grations. — Population  and  Commerce.  — Imports  and  Exports.  — 
Productiveness  of  the  Country.  — Want  of  Roads.  — Ida  Pfeiffer. 

— Preparations  for  the  Journey  to  the  Interior.  — Trip  up  the 

River  to  Bodegas.  — A Tropical  Paradise.  — Thoughts  of  Home  . 9 

CHAPTER  III. 

Alligators.  — The  Town  of  Babalioj'o,  or  Bodegas.  — Hiring  Horses. 

— Arrieros.  — Galled  and  Jaded  Beasts.  — Packing.  — Indian  En- 
durance.— The  Journey.  — The  Tropical  Forest.  — No  Great  Race 
has  ever  sprung  from  the  Tropics. — Savaneta. — Description  of 
Houses  on  the  Road.  — Punta  Plavas.  — Camellones  or  Camels’ 

Backs  — Nights  in  the  Forest.  — Mysterious  Noises.  — Mata 
Blanca.  — Pisagua.  — A Horrid  Road.  — Ascending  the  Cordillera. 

— Jorje.  — Cuesta  de  Angas.  — Camino  Real.  — Fating  Lice. — 

Emerging  from  the  Tropics.  — Superstition. — View  from  Mt. 
Pizcurcu.  — A Forgotten  Corner  of  the  World.  — A Dangerous 
Descent.  — Villages  in  the  Valley  of  Chimbo.  — The  Polite  “ Jefe 
Politico.” — Socabon. — Llamas.  — The  'Town  of  Guaranda. — 
Change  Horses.  — Preparations  for  passing  Chimborazo  . . 22 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Passage  of  Ml.  Chimborazo. — A Visit  to  the  Region  of  Clouds  and 
Storms. — View  of  the  Mountain.  — The  Arena!.  — Human  Rem- 
iniscences and  Monuments  in  the  Desert  of  Sand  and  Snow.  — 


VI 


CONTENTS. 


PAOK 

What  a Paramo  is.  — Its  Terrors.  — Chuquipoyo.  — The  Hacienda 
of  Chimborazo.  — A Dreary  Resting -place. — View  from  Chuqui- 
poyo. — The  City  of  Kiobamba  in  the  Distance.  — Earthquakes 
and  Volcanoes.  — Mt.  Sangai  — Rains  of  Ashes. — Mt.  Altar. — 

Mt.  Carguairazo.  — The  Paramo  of  Sanancajas.  — Descent  from 
the  Mountain  Heath.  — Reappearance  of  Vegetation.  — The  Vil- 
lage of  Mocha  . . 50 

CHAPTER  V. 

From  Mocha  to  Ambato.  — The  Volcano  Tunguragua.  — The  Towns 
of  Ambato  and  Latacunga.  — Fleas.  — The  Volcano  Cotopaxi  — 
Earthquakes  and  Prophecies.  — A Cold  Legend.  — The  Treasure 
of  Atahuallpa  — The  Testament  of  Valverde. — His  Derrotero. — 

Mt.  Uiuisa.  — The  Plain  and  Village  of  Mulalu.  — Description  of 
a Farm-Building.  — Signs  of  General  Decay.  — The  Hill  of  Callo. 

— The  Footprints  of  St.  Bartholomew  the  Apostle.  — Inca  Ruins. 

— The  Paramo  of  Tiupullo.  — The  ‘‘Accursed  Tree.”  — Rumina- 

gui  and  other  Mountains.  — The  Villages  of  Machachi  and  Tam- 
bi:lo.  — An  Ecuadorian  Tavern.  — End  of  our  Journey  . . 08 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Altitude  of  Quito. — Mt.  Pichincha.  — Its  Height.  — The  Crater. — 

The  Peaks  of  Pichincha.  — Eruptions.  — The  French  Academi- 
cians. — Humboldt,  Colonel  Hall,  and  Boussingault.  — Dr.  Gabriel 
Garcia  Moreno’s  Three  Descents  to  the  Bottom  of  the  Crater. — 

Ti.e  Valley  and  Village  of  Lloa.  — An  American  Artist  in  the 
Crater.  — My  Visits  to  it. — View  from  the  Summit  of  Pichincha. 

— Pumice-stone.  — Temperature.  — Approaches  to  Quito.  — Ana- 
Quito,  the  Battle-Field  — Turubamba  — Mt.  Panecillo.  — The 

City  viewed  from  the  Surrounding  Hills.  — A Retrospect  . . 91 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Quito.  — Appearance  of  the  City.  — Crowds  in  the  Streets.  — Streets 
and  Houses.  — Queer  Mode  of  Cooking.  — Want  of  Hotels. — A 
Curate’s  Idea  of  the  Obligation  of  Promises.  — Traits  of  Native 
Character.  — Want  of  Cleanliness.  — Incidents.  — Excellent  Cli- 
mate. — Mean  Temperature.  — No  Diseases  or  Insects.  — The 
Rain}'  Season.  — Fruits  and  Flowers.  — Earth’s  Paradise  . . 104 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Population.  — The  Whites.  — Aristocratic  Traditions.  — Ancient  No- 
bility. — Prejudice  against  Labor.  — Early  Marriages.  — Boy- 
Husbands.  — No  Spirit  of  Association.  — Mixed  Races.  — Cholas 
and  Bolziconas.  — Servants. — Huasicamas.  — Indian  Wives. — 
Laundresses.  — Longas,  Guambras,  and  Guinazhiscas.  — Ama  de 


CONTENTS.  vii 

PAGE 

Llaves.  — Marketing.  — Matrimonial  Relations.  — An  Incident.  — 

Indian  Humility.  — Other  Traits  of  Indian  Character.  — Politeness 
of  the  Rabble.  — Spanish-American  Courtesy.  — A Lady’s  Mes- 
sage to  a Friend 121 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Spanish  Mode  of  Colonization.  — Fortifications  and  Convents.  — Ar- 
chitecture of  Quito.  — The  Moorish  Style.  — Public  Buildings. — 
Churches.  — Nunneries.  — The  Convent  of  San  Francisco.  — Its 
Painted  Miracles. — Interesting  Specimens.  — The  Praying  Lamb. 

— The  Chapel  of  Catufa.  — A Romantic  Legend.  — The  Treasures 
of  Rumifiagui.  — A Pretended  Pact  with  the  Prince  of  Darkness. 

— La  Capilla  del  Robo.  — Another  Legend.  — The  Parish  Church 
of  San  Roque  — Flagellation.  — The  Tejar,  or  La  Recoleta  de  la 
Merced.  — Religious  Exercises  in  Lent.  — Still  another  Legend. — 

Indian  Reticence.  — Burving-places. — How  the  Poor  bury  their 
Children.  — Administering  the  Last  Sacraments.  — Religious  Pro- 
cessions. — Semana  Santa.  — Holy  Thursday  and  Good  Friday. — 
Splendid  Illumination  of  the  Churches.  — A Descendimiento.  — A 
Sermon  accompanied  by  a Puppet-show* — Its  Effect  on  the  Au- 
dience.— A Portable  Image  of  the  Lord,  and  its  Travels  to  the 
Coast.  — Christmas.  — Misa  de  Gallos.  — The  Clergy.  — Ignorance 
and  Immorality  of  the  Monks.  — The  Curates.  — List  of  Convents 

and  Nunneries.  — Fees  of  Curates.  — Divisions  of  Caste  . . 137 

CHAPTER  X. 

Social  Life  in  the  Ecuadorian  Capital. — The  Ladies.  — High  Opin- 
ion of  France.  — The  Populace  believes  every  Foreigner  to  be  a 
Frenchman.  — Female  Morality.  — The  General  Prejudice  un- 
founded. — Female  Politicians  and  Conspirators.  — Educational.  — 
Literary  Dependence  of  Spain  on  France.  — Want  of  Newspapers. 

— Sisters  of  the  “Heart  of  .Jesus.’’ — Music.  — The  Diplomatic 
Corps.  — Foreigners.  — Exe<juins  — Duelos  — Lulo.  — Sunday 
Visits.  — Salutations  and  Etiquette.  — Christmas  Calls.  — Dar  las 
Pascuas.  — Cnvipltaiios.  — Bull-baitings,  or  Tor<s.  — Description 
of  the  Plaza  Mayor.  — Cock-fights. — La  Gnllera . — Holidays. — 
Jnocentes. — Masquerades  between  Christmas  and  New  Year. — 

Fancy  Dress  Processions. . — Carnival.  — Queer  Observance.  — 
Chicha,  the  Indian  Na'ional  Beverage  — Indian  Degradation, 
Drunkenness,  and  Improvidence 163 

CHAPTER  XL 

Agriculture.  — Wooden  Plows.  — Mechanic  Arts.  — Improvidence 
of  the  People.  — Beggars.  — Commerce  of  the  Interior.  — Want  of 
Enterprise.  — City  lit  with  Tallow  Candles.  — Needlework  and 
Embroidery.  — Fine  Arts.  — Painting.  — Splendid  Copy:sts. — 


Vlll 


CONTENTS. 


Cheapness  of  Paintings.  — Saints  and  Martyrs.  — A Scene  from 
Purgatory.  — The  Liberal  Professions.  — The  Law. — Tinterillos. 

— System  of  .Jurisprudence.  — The  Country  without  a Peniten- 
tiary. — Physicians.  — Drug  Stores.  — The  Hospicio.  — Leprosy 
and  Elephantiasis.  — Female  Prison  and  Lunatic  Asylum.  — The 
Hospital.  — No  Room  for  Wounded  Soldiers.  — The  Young  Men 
of  Quito 190 


CHAPTER  XII. 

The  Political  Condition  of  the  South-American  Republics.  — A Tale 
of  Horror  and  Misery 209 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

Trip  to  the  Province  of  Imbabura.  — Descent  to  the  River  Guailla- 
bamba. — The  Pyramids.  — Their  History.  — The  Village  of 
Guaillabamba.  — Wild  Mountainous  Scenery.  — The  Switzerland 
of  America  — The  River  Pisque.  — A Historical  Reminiscence. — 
Gonzalo  Pizarro  and  the  Viceroy  Wasco  Nufez  Vela.  — American 
Aloe;  its  Multifarious  Uses.  — Tabacundo.  — Gtnte  del  Pueblo  or 
Common  People.  — Alto  de  Cajas.  — Lake  St.  Pablo.  — The  Fes- 
tival of  St.  John.  — Great  Indian  Celebrations.  — The  Feast  at 
Otabalo.  — Indian  Dances  and  Masquerades.  — Gambling. — -Ug- 
liness of  Indian  Women.  — The  Chapel  of  Monserate.  — Idolatrous 
Practices.  — Corrida  dt  Gallos.  — San  Juan  and  San  Pedro  at  the 
Village  of  Cayambi. — Mt.  Cayambi.  — Longevity.  — Agua  Glo- 
riada. — Contra-dances.  — Guarapo.  — Reports  of  Volcanic  Activ- 
ity.—More  Gold  Legends.  — Servo  Pelado. — Col.  Hall’s  attempted 
Ascent  of  Mt.  Cayambi.  — Gold  Somewhere.  — The  Napo  Prov- 
ince on  the  Eastern  Side  of  the  Cordillera.  — Compulsory  Sales  of 
Merchandise  to  Indians  by  the  Governor. — Destruction  of  Three 
Cities  by  the  Indians.  — No  Vestige  remains.  - - Poetic  Retribution. 

— Legends  and  Traditions  — The  Fate  of  the  Captured  WomeD 
of  Golden  Sevilla 248 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

My  Journey  to  the  Northern  Province  continued.  — The  Chase  — 
Esculents.  — The  Graveyard  of  Cayambi  — Doctrina  Cristiana. — 
Aruchicos.  — Speech  by  an  Indian.  — Indian  Peonage.  — Further 
Peculiarities  of  Indian  Character.  — Population  and  Characteris- 
tics of  the  Town  of  Otabalo.  — The  Convent.  — Punishment  of  In- 
dians for  neglecting  Religious  Observances.  — Alcaldes  de  Doctrina. 
— Mt.  Cotacachi  and  Lake  Cuicocha.  — Dangerous  Hunting  Par- 
ties.— Sunday  Markets.  — The  Village  of  Cotacachi. -- More 
Remnants  of  the  Inquisition.  — Padronar. — How  Laws  and  Mu- 
nicipal Ordinances  are  promulgated  in  an  Illiterate  Country.  — 


CONTENTS. 


IX 


PAGE 

American  Machinery  an  “Invention  of  the  Devil.” — Mt  Imba- 
bura.  — The  Village  of  Hatuntaqui.  — Tolas,  or  Indian  Graves 
or  Mounds.  — The  City  of  Ibarra.  — Carranqui,  the  Birthplace  of 
Atahuallpa.  — No  Vestige  left  of  Indian  Civilization.  — Digging 
up  Indian  Graves.  — Strange  Discoveries.  — Impulse  given  by  the 
Gold  Discoveries  at  Cuenca.  — Lake  Yaguarcocha,  the  Sea  of 
Blood 294 


CHAPTER  XV. 

Trip  to  the  Province  of  Imbabura  concluded.  — A Visit  to  the  Valley 
of  the  River  Cliota.  — The  Heights  of  Alaburu.  — The  Mountain 
of  Pialchan,  with  its  Mysterious  Cave.  — Another  Gold  Legend. — 

Aerial  Bridges. — Return  to  the  Tropics.  — Sugar  Plantations  and 
Negroes.  — History  of  the  Abolition  of  Slavery  in  Ecuador.  — 
Landslips.  — Mass  Emigration  and  Disappearance  of  Indians. — 

The  Strange  Story  of  Pimampiro.  — Geological  Catastrophes.  — 
Digging  for  Treasures.  — The  Village  of  Cacha  swallowed  up  by 
an  Earthquake. — Indian  Graves.  — Ancient  Indian  Crockery. — 
Guajara.  — The  Footpath  to  Pevlon  on  the  Coast. — The  English 
Company.  — Negro  Dances.  — Bomba  and  Alfandoque.  — The 
Paramo  Road  to  Quito.  — Mojanda. — A Farewell  to  the  Fairy 
Province  of  Tmbabura.  — Mountain  Lakes.  — Return  to  Quito  . 322 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

HISTORICAL  REVIEW, 

Indian  Traditions.  — Difficulties  of  Estimating  Ancient  Indian  Civil- 
ization. — Scarcity  of  Materials.  — Destruction  of  Indian  Civiliza- 
tion by  the  Spaniards.  — The  Religious  Element  of  the  Conquest. 

— Fray  Marcos  de  Niza.  — Persecution  of  the  Indian  Writer  Colla- 
huaso.  — The  Old  Quitu  Nation.  — Its  Conquest  by  the  Carans. — 

The  Giants  of  Punta  Santa  Helena.  — The  Ancient  Kings  or 
Scvris  of  Quito. — Romantic  Legend  of  Condorazo.  — Invasion  of 
the  Peruvian  Incas.  — Cacha  Duchicela,  the  last  of  the  Scvris.  — 

His  Heroic  Resistance  against  the  Inca  Huaynacapac.  — Battle  of 
Hatuntaqui.  — Death  of  the  last  of  the  Scvris.  — His  Daughter 
Pacha.  — Death  of  Huaynacapac.  — War  between  his  Sons,  Huas- 
car  and  Atahuallpa.  — Battle  of  Quipavpan.  — Defeat  and  Capture 
of  Huascar.  — Arrival  of  the  Spaniards  under  Francisco  Pizarro. 

— Capture  and  Execution  of  Atahuallpa  -*  Downfall  of  the  Pe- 
ruvian Empire  — Usurpation  and  Cruelty  of  Ruminagui  at  Quito. 

— Benalcazar’.s  Expedition  to  Quito.  — Genius  of  Ruminagui. — 

Battle  of  Tiocajas.  — Evacuation  and  Destruction  of  Quito  by  Ru- 
minagui. — The  Virgins  of  the  Sun.  — Horrid  Cruelty  of  the  Span- 
iards. — Execution  of  Ruminagui.  — Indian  Slavery.  — Encomi- 
endas  and  Repartimientos.  — Spanish  Colonization.  — The  Blue 

* 


X 


CONTENTS. 


Laws  of  Spanish  America.  — Protective  Legislation.  — Pedro  de 
Puelles.  — Revolution  of  the  Colonists.  — Gonzalo  Pizarro.  — Bat- 
tle of  Quito.  — Death  of  the  Viceroy.  — Death  of  Gonzalo  Pizarro. 
— Revolution  and  Execution  of  Hernandez  Giron.  — The  Cause 
of  the  Indians  Abandoned.  — Plan  for  a Continuation  of  this 
History 

Appendix  .... 


PAQE 


351 

399 


FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICAN3. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Arrival  in  Ecuador.  — The  City  of  Guayaquil.  — Its  Aspect.  — North 
American  Enterprise.  — Old  and  New  City. — Wooden  Buildings.  — 
Palm-trees,  Goats,  and  Gallinazos.  — Fortifications  and  Barracks.  — Bal- 
sas.— A Floating  Population.  — Climate  and  Temperature.  — Dry  and 
Rainy  Season.  — Distant  View  of  Mount  Chimborazo. 

Guayaquil  is  the  principal  sea-port  of  the  Republic 
of  Ecuador  on  the  Pacific  coast  of  South  America. 
It  is  situate  on  the  right  bank  of  the  river  Guayas, 
about  sixty  miles  above  its  mouth.  I arrived  there  on 
the  21st  of  June,  1861.  The  city,  viewed  from  the 
river,  presents  a lively  and  business-like  appearance, 
especially  at  night,  when  rows  of  gas-lights  are  reflected 
in  the  waters.  There  is  but  little  to  warn  the  traveller, 
at  first  sight,  that  it  is  a town  of  the  present,  through 
which  he  has  to  pass  into  regions  still  belonging  to  the 
past.  The  principal  street,  called  the  u Malecon,”  ex- 
tends about  a mile  and  a half  along;  the  river;  its 
large  frame  houses  with  their  curtain-covered  porches, 
some  of  them  strangely  dislocated  by  earthquakes,  as 
if  ready  to  tumble  down,  without  a moment’s  warning, 
present  a most  original  and  grotesque  appearance. 
The  stores  are  as  elegant  and  tasteful  as  any  of  our 
own  stores  in  a second  or  third  class  city  could  be  ; 
gas-light  greets  us  at  night,  and  a lively  throng  of  hu- 
manity in  the  day-time  ; hundreds  of  canoes,  skiffs,  rafts, 
l 


2 


FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


balsas , and  small  sailing-vessels  called  chatas , come  and 
go  with  the  tide,  bringing  to  town  the  manifold  trop- 
ical fruits  and  vegetables  in  which  the  luxuriant  country 
along  the  Guayas  and  its  affluents  abounds.  Water- 
carriers  on  donkeys,  with  two  barrels  on  a wooden 
pack-saddle  before  them,  hurry  up  and  down  the 
streets.  At  night  the  air  is  rent  by  the  lively  and 
sometimes  witty  exclamations  of  boys,  offering  for  sale 
a kind  of  candy  called  caramelo , tallow-candles,  tama- 
les (a  peculiar  dish  of  the  country),  ice-cream,  if  ice 
happens  to  be  in  town,  etc.,  etc.  Coaches  and  car- 
riages, it  is  true,  are  not  to  be  seen  (there  are  but  two 
private  carriages  in  town,  and  these  are  confined  to  the 
Malecon,  and  a few  intersecting  streets,  because  the 
pavement  of  the  others  makes  them  inaccessible  to 
vehicles),  but  mule-carts  clatter  from  one  end  of  the 
I landing  to  the  other.  A hand  railroad-track  leads  from 
the  wharf  to  the  custom-house,  — certainly  not  suggest- 
ive of  the  fact  that  we  are  but  one  day’s  journey  from 
regions  in  which  a wagon  is  never  seen.  Steamboats 
like  our  own  (their  machinery  having  been  built  in  the 
United  States)  ply  up  and  down  the  river,  reminding 
us  of  home  ; and  even  a Baltimore  steam-engine  puffs 
and  snorts  through  the  streets  in  cases  of  fire,  filling 
the  atmosphere  with  sounds  familiar  to  an  American 
ear. 

In  fact,  almost  all  the  modern  improvements  in 
Guayaquil  were  introduced  by  North  Americans.  An 
American  company  has  introduced  gas  into  a town  to 
which  coal  must  be  brought  from  abroad.  An  Ameri- 
can company  has  built  the  friendly  steamboats,  which 
now  make  their  regular  trips  up  and  down  the  Guayas 
and  its  tributaries  ; an  iron  foundery  and  machine-shop 
have  been  established  by  Americans,  and  even  the 


DESCRIPTION  OF  GUAYAQUIL. 


3 

two  neat  little  frame  houses  on  the  wharf  which  are 
occupied  by  the  officers  of  the  port,  were  brought  from 
the  United  States. 

The  northern  part  of  Guayaquil  is  called  the  “ Old 
City,”  which  clusters  around  the  slopes  of  a hill  on  which 
the  military  hospital  is  located,  and  the  fresh  verdure 
of  which,  especially  during  the  rainy  season,  is  pleas- 
ing to  the  eye.  The  new  town,  containing  all  that  is 
business  or  fashion,  occupies  a part  of  the  plain  or 
savana  between  the  river  and  a salt-water  estuary 
called  the  “ Estero  Salado.”  It  is  separated  from  the 
old  city  by  several  smaller  estuaries,  over  which  wooden 
bridges,  always  out  of  repair,  keep  up  the  communica- 
tion. The  total  absence  of  brick  and  stone  buildings 
is  striking.  The  houses  are  two  or  three  stories  high, 
and  built  in  the  southern  style,  with  porches  or  bal- 
conies protruding  over  the  sidewalks  and  resting  on 
wooden  pillars,  thus  forming  piazzas,1  which  afford 
protection  against  sun  and  rain.  But  few  of  the 
streets  are  properly  paved.  Some  of  them  have  noth- 
ing but  a bridge  of  stepping-stones  at  the  crossings  as 
a passage,  during  the  rainy  season,  from  one  side  to  the 
other.  The  Malecon,  and  a fewT  others  of  the  princi- 
pal streets,  are  kept  tolerably  clean,  but  the  by-streets, 
and  the  rear  part  of  the  city,  are  shockingly  filthy, 
and  disfigured  by  dilapidated,  dingy,  and  miserable 
hovels.  Stray  donkeys  and  herds  of  goats  roam  the 
streets,  and  feed  on  the  grass  which,  in  the  rainy  sea- 
son, covers  the  most  frequented  thoroughfares,  giving 
a melancholy  aspect  to  the  place.  The  palm-tree,  the 
king  of  tropical  vegetation,  rises  majestically  over  roofs 
and  garden  fences  on  which  the  gallinazo  (turkey-buz- 
zard or  carrion-crow)  perches,  — that  silent  and  greedy 
companion  of  death  and  decay. 

1 Such  passages  or  covered  sidewalks  are  called  porlales. 


4 


FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


In  the  outskirts  of  the  city  the  houses  of  the  poor 
are  almost  as  humble  as  those  primitive  habitations 
which  we  shall  meet  in  the  tropical  wilderness,  on  the 
road  to  the  interior.  They  have  only  an  upper  floor 
resting  on  piles,  the  room  below  being  used  for  kitch- 
ens, or  occupied  by  domestic  animals.  They  are 
floored  and  walled  with  split  cane,  and  thatched  with 
bijao  leaves,  or  other  dried  herbage.  The  hammock 
constitutes  their  principal  article  of  furniture  ; and  thus 
but  a few  squares  from  the  splendid  residences  of  the 
wealthy  aristocracy,  furnished  with  Parisian  luxury, 
we  find  the  humble  cottage  of  the  poor  half-breed,  th£ 
indolent  inhabitant  of  the  tropical  forest. 

The  hill  at  the  foot  of  which  the  old  city  extends,  is 
fortified  by  batteries  commanding  the  river  above  and 
below.  Sand  batteries,  too,  dot  the  landing  along 
the  Maleeon.  They  were  erected  in  1861  and  1862, 
when  war  with  Peru  seemed  to  be  inevitable.  [Why 
batteries  should  have  been  planted  within  the  city  so 
as  to  draw  the  enemy’s  fire  on  a town  of  wooden 
buildings,  instead  of  defending  it  from  without,  is  one 
of  those  mysteries  of  military  science  which  uninitiated 
civilians  are  unable  to  comprehend.]  There  are  three 
cuarteles  (military  barracks)  in  the  city.  The  soldiers, 
especially  those  from  the  interior,  are  generally  fol- 
lowed by  their  Avives,  who  are  alloAved  to  live  Avith 
them.  This  rather  unmilitary  indulgence,  is  believed 
to  preA^ent  the  men  from  deserting  ; it  adds  to  their 
comforts,  and  may  be  considered  an  improvement  on 
the  morality  of  camps  or  barracks.  The  soldiers  are  a 
motley  croAvd,  with  and  without  shoes,  and  represent- 
ing all  imaginable  shades  of  color.  The  higher  officers 
are  generally  Avhite  men ; but  no  white  men  will  be 
found  among  the  rank  and  file.  Indians  are  exempt 


THE  MARKET. — BALSAS. 


O 


from  military  service  on  account  of  their  meekness  and 
cowardice. 

The  market  on  the  landing  presents  a grotesque  and 
lively  sight.  The  principal  food  of  the  poorer  classes 
is  the  plantain,  which  is  brought  to  town  in  canoes  or 
skiffs.  It  is  picturesque  to  see  them  come  with  the 
tide  paddled  by  one  or  two  half-naked  mulattoes,  zambos 
or  cholos , and  generally  so  well  filled  that  the  plantain 
branches  overhang  the  sides  and  are  dragged  along  in 
the  waters,  issuing,  as  it  were,  from  the  very  horn  of 
plenty.  The  principal  disadvantage  of  Guayaquil  is 
the  want  of  sweet  water  during  the  dry  season,  be- 
cause then  the  tide  runs  up  to  Bodegas,  a town  about 
sixty  miles  above  Guayaquil.  Hence  water  has  to  be 
brought  to  the  city  in  casks  and  barrels  on  rafts  called 
balsas , a most  remarkable  maritime  conveyance  in- 
vented by  the  ancient  Peruvians.  They  are  made  of 
five,  seven,  or  nine  trunks  of  an  exceedingly  light 
tree,  called  balsa.  The  rafts  are  made  longer  or 
smaller,  as  they  are  wanted  for  fishing,  for  the  coast- 
ing-trade, or  for  the  river,  and  they  go  with  safety  as 
far  as  Payta  in  Peru,  from  Guayaquil.  The  trunks, 
or  logs  of  which  they  are  made,  are  fastened  to  each 
other  by  bejucos  (a  sort  of  parasite  plant)  or  withies, 
and  have  cross-logs  lashed  so  firmly  with  these  pliable 
plants  that  they  rarely  give  way,  though  the  sea  dur- 
ing their  coasting  voyages  runs  very  high.  Nor  does 
the  water  rise  between  the  logs,  as  the  whole  machine 
adapts  itself  to  the  motion  of  the  waves.  Sails,  too,  are 
used  on  balsas , and  were  used  by  the  Indians  before 
the  conquest,  to  the  great  astonishment  of  the  Spanish 
discoverers.  Houses,  with  two  or  three  rooms,  and 
kitchens,  are  generally  built  on  such  balsas  ; and  thus 
residences  are  formed  for  a literally  floating  population , 


6 


l’OUK  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


living  on  the  rivers,  and  changing  about  from  one  part 
of  the  country  to  another  as  inclination  or  necessity 
may  dictate.  These  balsas  are  chiefly  inhabited  by  ne- 
groes and  mulattoes.  Their  furniture  consists  of  two 
or  three  hammocks,  in  which  they  swing  in  the  day- 
time, and  sleep  at  night.  The  rivers  abound  in  fish, 
which  they  take  with  a hooked  spear,  in  a very  dex- 
terous manner.  The  plantain-tree,  which  grows  around 
them  in  abundance,  furnishes  them  with  more  vegetable 
food  than  they  can  eat.  Clothing  they  need  but  little, 
thanks  to  the  climate,  which  enables  them  to  go  about 
half-naked.  What  little  fuel  they  require  for  cooking 
purposes,  their  children  will  find  in  the  woods  along 
the  river  banks.  They  spend  nothing  for  the  educa- 
tion of  their  children,  who,  like  their  parents,  grow  up 
in  ignorance  and  superstition.  To  gain  a little  ready 
money  they  take  fruits  and  vegetables  to  market,  and 
rear  fighting-cocks,  with  which  they  visit  the  cockpits 
in  towns  or  villages.  The  very  bounteousness  of 
Nature  has  made  the  poorer  classes  indolent,  lazy,  and 
improvident. 

The  mean  temperature  of  Guayaquil  is  about  78° 
Fahrenheit,  in  the  shade.  The  dry  season  lasts  from 
June  to  December  or  January,  and  is  exceedingly  cool, 
pleasant,  and  healthy.  The  evenings,  nights,  and 
mornings  are  very  cool,  sometimes  even  cold.  The 
days  are  warm,  but  those  whose  business  does  not 
require  strong  physical  exertion  will  hardly  call  the 
weather  hot.  At  about  four  or  five  o’clock  in  the  after- 
noon, and  sometimes  much  earlier,  a cool  and  strong 
breeze  sets  in  which  is  known  as  the  chctnduy , because 
it  comes  over  a mountain  of  that  name.  It  generally 
blows  all  night,  and  sometimes  even  in  the  morning, 
and  greatly  contributes  to  the  salubrity  of  the  place, 


THE  llAINY  SEASON. 


7 


although  it  leads  to  frequent  colds.  During  the  best 
part  of  the  dry  season,  there  are  hardly  any  mosqui- 
toes, and  no  epidemics.  If  it  were  not  for  the  rainy 
season,  I should  say  that  the  reports  about  the  pestif- 
erous climate  of  Guayaquil  are  gross  exaggerations. 
The  rainy  season,  however,  or  u winter,”  as  it  is  called, 
is  very  unpleasant.  The  sun  sends  down  its  burning 
rays  in  the  day-time,  and  the  heavens  open  their 
flood-gates  at  night.  The  pleasant  chdnduy  ceases  to 
blow,  and  the  atmosphere  is  hot  and  oppressive,  with- 
out a breeze  stirring  for  days  and  weeks.  Mosquitoes 
cloud  the  air  in  dense  swarms,  and  molest  the  inhab- 
itants in  the  day-time  as  well  as  at  night.  Puddles  are 
formed  in  the  streets,  making  many  of  them  impassable 
from  one  side  to  the  other.  The  savana  (plain)  in  the 
rear,  and  some  of  the  streets  in  the  outskirts  of  the 
city,  will  be  under  water,  owing  to  the  yearly  inunda- 
tion of  the  low  and  flat  parts  of  the  country.  Myriads 
of  little  insects  will  hover  around  the  lights  at  night, 
dropping  down  dead  on  tables,  desks,  and  other  furni- 
ture. Fevers  and  dysenteries  make  their  appearance, 
and  business  is  suspended  on  account  of  the  impassable 
condition  of  the  roads.  During  this  season,  Guayaquil 
must  appear  gloomy  to  the  foreigner,  not  on  account 
of  the  heat,  as  the  mercury  never  rises  as  high  as  dur- 
ing the  torrid  season  of  our  own  country,  but  on  ac- 
count of  its  general  unpleasantness,  and  especially  the 
intolerable  attacks  of  mosquitoes  and  other  insects.1 

1 Among  the  insects  of  Guayaquil,  there  is  one  which  is  not  an  enemy  to 
man,  but  to  knowledge  and  science.  It  is  the  polilla  (pronounced  poleelya ), 
which  destroys  books  and  papers  by  perforating  them  in  a hundred  dif- 
ferent places,  from  one  end  of  a volume  to  the  other.  The  greater  part  of 
the  old  municipality  records  has  thus  been  destroyed  ; and  to  keep  up 
extensive  public  or  private  libraries  would  require  the  greatest  care  and 
incessant  watchfulness.  Camphor  seems  to  be  a safe  preventive  against 
the  polilla  ; but  it  evaporates  so  soon,  that  its  application  must  be  repeated 


8 


FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


A great  sight  for  foreigners  is  a distant  view  of 
Mount  Chimborazo,  which  may  be  seen  from  the  Mal- 
econ  on  clear  summer  days.  On  the  other  side  of  the 
river,  apparently  in  the  rear  of  two  insignificant  hills, 
rises  above  the  long  chain  of  the  Cordillera,  the  huge 
mountain  covered  with  masses  of  snow  and  ice,  the 
dazzling  whiteness  of  which  is  intersected  by  black 
lines  formed  by  the  steep  and  sharp  edges  of  frightful 
rocks  on  which  the  snow  cannot  gather.  Unpolluted 
by  mortal  tread  the  mountain  rears  its  snowy  head. 
The  storms  of  heaven  thunder  around  its  unapproach- 
able peaks ; the  fleeting  clouds  are  allowed  to  embrace 
and  to  kiss  them  ; the  majestic  condor  alights  on  them 
for  a short  rest  after  his  soaring  flight,  but  no  human 
foot  ever  profaned  them ; no  human  foot  ever  will. 
Now  you  see  the  mountain  before  you,  as  an  imposing 
background  to  green  forests,  luxuriant  hills,  and  the 
undulating  chain  of  the  Cordillera ; but  follow  me  and 
you  shall  soon  see  it,  face  to  face,  and  in  the  loneliness 
of  the  desert.  You  shall  see  it,  yourself,  14,000  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  sea,  and  far  away  from  all 
human  habitations,  face  to  face,  amidst  the  horrors  of 
Nature’s  solitude.  There,  where  the  howling  storms 
sweep  over  the  dreary  “ Arenal  ” ; there,  where  the 
shivering  traveller  hurries  over  the  lofty  pass  to  avoid 
the  dreadful  gusts  that  may  hurl  the  rider  from  his 
horse  ; there,  where  the  mountain  streams  separate  and 
rush  on,  on  one  side  to  the  Atlantic  and  on  the  other 
to  the  Pacific  ; there,  if  you  will  follow  me,  you  will 
bow  to  Nature’s  grandeur  in  the  loneliness  of  altitudes 
unconquerable  by  the  skill  and  enterprise  of  man. 

continually.  The  dampness  of  the  atmosphere,  too,  (not  only  in  the  rain}’, 
but  also  in  the  dry  season,)  is  a great  enemy  to  books;  but  more  dangerous 
still  to  clothes,  silk  dresses,  kid  gloves,  and  other  articles  of  wearing  ap- 
parel. 


CHAPTER  II. 


Ancient  History  of  Guayaquil.  — Pirates  and  Buccaneers.  — Conflagra- 
tions. — Population  and  Commerce.  — Imports  and  Exports.  — Pro- 
ductiveness of  the  Country.  — Want  of  Roads.  — Ida  Pfeiffer.  — Prep- 
arations for  the  Journey  to  the  Interior.  — Trip  up  the  River  to  Bode- 
gas.— A Tropical  Paradise.  — Thoughts  of  Home. 

The  first  foundation  of  Guayaquil  took  place  in  the 
year  1535.  Sebastian  de  Benalcazar,  the  conqueror  of 
Quito,  placed  himself  at  the  head  of  an  expedition 
fitted  out  at  that  place,  and  consisting  of  one  hundred 
Spaniards,  fifty  horses,  and  four  thousand  friendly,  or 
rather  subjugated  Indians,  who  had  been  impressed  for 
the  purpose  of  carrying  the  baggage,  provisions,  and 
ammunition  of  their  new  masters.  He  made  his  way  to, 
and  through,  the  valley  of  Chimbo  without  difficulty ; 
but  when  he  descended  the  western  branch  of  the  Cor- 
dillera, and  entered  the  lowlands,  his  Indian  carriers, 
unaccustomed  to  the  parching  heat  and  unhealthy  cli- 
mate of  the  coast,  died  at  the  rate  of  two  hundred  to 
three  hundred  a day.  The  fame  of  the  Spaniards,  how- 
ever, had  already  preceded  them.  The  Indian  tribes 
on  the  River  Guayas  and  its  tributaries  had  heard  of 
the  foreign  conquerors,  before  whom  the  mighty  empire 
of  the  Incas  had  fallen,  and  convinced  that,  eventually, 
resistance  would  prove  useless,  made  their  submission 
to  Benalcazar.  On  the  25th  of  July,  1535,  the  latter 
laid  the  foundation  of  the  town  of  Santiago  de  Guaya- 
quil under  the  2°  12'  of  south  latitude.  He  appointed 
Diego  de  Daza  governor  of  the  province,  and  leaving 


10  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 

the  greater  part  of  his  men  in  the  new  colony,  re- 
turned to  Quito  to  extend  his  conquests  to  the  north 
of  that  capital. 

But  the  Indians  of  Guayaquil  soon  repented  of  their 
peaceable  submission.  The  Spaniards  thirsted  for 
gold,  but  still  more  they  coveted  the  wives  and  daugh- 
ters of  the  natives,  which  so  provoked  the  latter  that 
they  rose,  and  by  a bloody  massacre  destroyed  the 
infant  settlement.  Of  about  seventy  who  had  been 
left  by  Benalcazar,  only  the  Governor  and  five  others 
escaped,  and  after  weeks  of  hardships  and  dangers  suc- 
ceeded in  making  their  way  back  to  Quito.1 

The  Lieutenant-Governor  of  that  place,  Don  Juan 
Diaz  de  Hidalgo,  immediately  fitted  out  a second  expe- 
dition, which  he  placed  under  the  command  of  Daza 
and  another  military  leader,  Pedro  de  Tapia.  Three 
thousand  more  Indians  were  taken  along  and  fell,  like 
then’  unfortunate  predecessors,  a helpless  prey  to  the 
fevers  of  the  lowlands.  The  Guayas  Indians,  however, 
were  prepared  for  resistance,  and  after  many  bloody 
encounters,  defeated  the  Spaniards  in  a decisive  action 
and  compelled  them  to  retreat  to  Quito. 

The  news  of  these  disasters  reached  the  newly  cre- 
ated Marquis  de  Pizarro  at  Lima,  and  knowing  that 
Benalcazar,  engaged  in  the  conquest  of  the  province  of 
Popayan,  north  of  Quito,  could  not  attend  to  his  south- 
ern colonies,  fitted  out  an  expedition  under  the  com- 
mand of  Francisco  de  Zaera  who,  in  the  following 
year  (1536),  after  many  indecisive  actions,  concluded 
a treaty  with  the  Indians,  in  which  these  unsophistica- 
ted children  of  nature  very  ingeniously  stipulated  that 
from  the  countries  whence  so  many  Christian  men  had 

1 Herrera’s  Historia  General  de  los  Heehos  de  los  Castellanos  en  las  Islas  y 
Tierra  Firme , del  Mar  Oceano , Decada  V.,  lib.  7,  cap  xv. 


ADVANTAGES  AS  A PORT. 


11 


come,  the  Spaniards  should  also  bring  Christian  women , 
in  order  that  their  Indian  women  might  remain  unmo- 
lested. 

To  this  the  Spaniards  consented,  and  so  the  colony 
was  reestablished.  But  shortly  afterwards  news  ar- 
rived of  the  successful  rebellion  of  the  Peruvian  In- 
dians under  the  great  Manco  Inca,  who  was  already 
besieging  Cuzco ; and  Zaera  had  to  leave  Guayaquil 
with  his  whole  command,  and  hurry  to  the  assistance 
of  his  countrymen.  After  his  departure  the  settlement 
remained  abandoned,  until  peace  having  been  restored 
in  Peru,  Pizarro  sent  the  notorious  Francisco  de  Or 
ellana,1  who  founded  Guayaquil  for  the  third  and  last 
time  in  the  year  1537. 2 It  was  built  on  the  declivity 
of  a hill  called  “ Cerillo  Verde  ” (Green  Hill)  on  the 
spot  now  known  as  “ Old  City  ” ( Ciudad  Viejo). 

If  we  except  the  distance  of  Guayaquil  from  the' 
ocean,  its  advantages  as  a port  are  considerable  ; and 
its  possession  has  often  been  coveted  by  the  ambitious 
rulers  of  Peru.  The  coast  of  the  latter  is  sterile  and 
sandy  ; but  Guayaquil  is  the  capital  and  centre  of  a \ 
most  fertile  province  which  abounds  in  timber  for  ship  \ 
and  house  building,  and  with  its  exuberant  growth  of 
fruit,  especially  of  cacao,  plantains,  etc.,  etc.,  supplies 
many  a foreign  market,  while  the  majestic  river  by 
which  it  is  irrigated,  the  most  splendid  on  the  Pacific 

1 The  first  European  who  navigated  the  Amazon,  (from  one  of  its  upper 

tributaries  (the  Napo)  to  its  mouth,)  and  published  a most  exaggerated 
and  improbable  account  of  his  discoveries.  To  this  romantic  account  we 
owe  the  story  of  the  Amazons,  of  cities  and  villages  with  golden  roofs,  etc., 
etc.,  and  other  visionary  fabrications.  ' 

2 It  is  stated  in  the  New  American  Cyclopaedia , edited  by  Ripley  and  Dana, 
(article  “Ecuador,”)  that  Francisco  Pizarro  landed  at  Tumbez,  now  Guaya- 
quil, in  1532.  This  is  a mistake,  as  far  as  Guayaquil  is  concerned.  Pizarro 
never  was  at  Guayaquil,  nor  was  Guayaquil  formerh-  called  Tumbez.  The 
Tumbez  where  Pizarro  landed  is  a port  in  Peru,  near  the  mouth  of  the 
nver  Tumbez,  more  than  a degree  south  of  Guayaquil. 


12 


FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


side  of  Central  and  South  America,  forms  a secure 
harbor  for  vessels  of  almost  every  size,  at  a distance  of 
more  than  sixty  miles  from  the  sea.  This  distance, 
although  it  may  have  somewhat  retarded  the  progress 
of  Guayaquil  as  a commercial  port,  did  not  prevent  the 
pirates  and  buccaneers  of  the  seventeenth  century  from 
making  it  one  of  the  many  scenes  of  their  atrocities. 
It  was  first  attacked  in  1624  by  Jacob  H.  Clark,  who 
landed  with  two  hundred  of  his  followers,  and  would 
have  set  fire  to  the  town,  had  it  not  been  for  the  des- 
perate resistance  of  the  inhabitants.  In  August  of  the 
same  year,  it  was  attacked  by  another  party  of  pirates 
five  hundred  strong,  who  were  also  repulsed,  and  on 
their  retreat  set  fire  to  the  Royal  Armory  on  the  Island 
of  Puna,  at  the  mouth  of  the  river. 

The  French  pirates  who  landed  in  1686  were  more 
successful ; and  took  all  the  treasure  they  could  find 
in  the  city.  In  168T  the  English  freebooters,  under 
Edward  David,  fell  unexpectedly  upon  the  town,  took 
$13,400  in  treasure,  and  would  have  reduced  the 
place  to*ashes,  had  not  the  inhabitants  offered  them 
the  sum  of  $40,000  and  two  hostages  for  its  pay- 
ment. They  withdrew,  and  killed  the  hostages  after 
having  received  the  money.1 

In  1707  William  Dampierre  took  and  pillaged  the 
place  ; and  in  1709,  the  notorious  Clipperton  ransacked 
almost  every  house  in  the  city.  Fortifications  were 
not  erected  until  1730,  because  such  works  could  not 
be  undertaken  without  the  sanction  and  permission  of 
the  Spanish  Government.  Until  that  express  permis- 
sion could  be  obtained  from  the  Royal  Circumlocution 
Office,  the  inhabitants  had  no  right  to  take  the  most 
indispensable  measures  for  their  own  safety. 

1 See  Padre  Juan  de  Velasco’s  ffistoria  del  Reiuo  dt  Quito , vol.  iii.  p.  115. 
Also,  Manuel  Villavieeneios’s  Geograjia  de  la  Republica  del  Ecuador,  p.  249. 


CONFLAGRATIONS  AND  POPULATION. 


13 


The  conflagrations  with  which  the  place  has  been 
and  is  still  visited  from  time  to  time,  form  another 
scourge  of  Guayaquil.  In  1707  one  hundred  and 
thirty  houses  were  destroyed  by  fire,  and  the  great 
conflagration  in  1764  destroyed  almost  the  whole  city. 
Fires  are  very  dangerous  to  a place  in  which  hardly 
one  brick  or  stone  building  can  be  found,  especially  in 
the  dry  season,  when  months  will  pass  without  a drop 
of  rain  to  moisten  the  timber  parched  by  a tropical 
sun.  1 witnessed  a conflagration  in  November,  1862, 
and  another  in  August,  1865.  In  a few  hours  whole 
squares  were  consumed,  and  only  by  the  greatest  exer- 
tions could  the  further  spread  of  the  furious  element 
be  prevented.  There  are  several  voluntary  fire  com- 
panies in  Guayaquil,  one  of  which  is  chiefly  composed 
of  foreigners,  and  comprises  many  of  the  most  respecta- 
ble merchants  of  the  town. 

The  population  of  Guayaquil  is  differently  estimated. 
Some  place  it  as  high  as  24,000,  others  as  low  as 
20,000,  and  even  18,000.  Ulloa,  in  1736,  estimated  it 
at  20,000  ; from  which  it  will  appear  that  the  in- 
crease, if  there  has  been  any,  is  but  very  insignificant. 
Holinski,  a Polish  traveller,  who  visited  the  country 
in  1851,  came  to  the  conclusion  that,  for  twenty  years 
last  preceding  his  visit,  immigration  from  the  interior 
had  kept  the  number  of  the  inhabitants  at  a figure 
varying  from  20,000  to  25,0004  Since  1862  it  has 
been  steadily  decreasing.  I have  heard  intelligent 
residents,  foreigners  as  well  as  natives,  assert,  that  at 
least  eighty  per  cent,  of  the  population  are  colored,  and 
my  own  observations  have  led  me  to  believe  that  this 
estimate  is  not  an  exaggeration. 

1 L' Equaieur,  Scenes  de  la  Vie  Sud-Amencaine , par  Alexandre  Holinski, 
Paris,  1861,  p.  28. 


14  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


The  commerce  of  Guayaquil  is  not  inconsiderable. 
On  its  custom-house  receipts  the  government  of  Ecua- 
dor chiefly  depends  for  its  revenue.  The  interior  de- 
pends on  these  imports  for  the  greater  part  of  the  com- 
modities and  almost  all  the  luxuries  of  life.  There  is, 
proportionately,  but  little  manufacturing  industry  in 
the  interior,  and  much  less  on  the  coast.  The  natives 
of  the  former  can  make  furniture,  saddles,  coarse 
woolen  and  cotton  goods  in  limited  quantities,  fine 
embroidery  and  needle-work,  common  rum  distilled 
from  the  sugar-cane,  boots  and  shoes  of  a very  inferior 
quality,  hats,  paintings,  etc,  etc.,  but  almost  every  thing 
else  has  to  be  imported  from  abroad.  Common  Amer- 
ican and  English  cotton  and  woolen  goods,  wines  and 
liquors,  cloth,  silks,  French  fancy  articles,  glass  and 
china-ware,  hardware  and  cutlery,  crockery,  etc.,  etc., 
are  important  items  of  importation.  Flour,  too,  has  to 
be  imported  for  the  use  of  the  districts  on  the  coast,  al- 
though in  the  interior  wheat  grows  in  bountiful  abun- 
dance.  But  there  are  no  wagon  roads,  and  the  mills 
are  very  bad ; hence  the  necessity  of  importation. 
It  is  chiefly  brought  from  Chili.  Lard  is  imported 
from  the  United  States  for  consumption  on  the  coast. 

Guayaquil  monopolizes  at  present  the  business  of  im- 
portation, because  its  roads  to  the  interior  are  mule- 
paths  ; while  those  which  lead  to  the  highlands  from 
the  ports  of  Esmeraldas  and  Pevlon  are  not  even  acces- 
sible to  horses  or  mules,  but  require  merciless  foot 
travelling.  It  is  a common  saying  in  Ecuador,  that 
“ Our  roads  are  roads  for  birds , but  not  for  men” 

The  principal  articles  of  exportation  are  the  follow- 

ing:—/ 

Cacao  (the  fruit  of  the  chocolate-tree).  The 
cao  of  Guayaquil  is  famous  in  the  markets  of  the 


COMMERCE  AND  PRODUCTS. 


15 


world.  It  is  raised  all  along  the  River  Guay  as  and  its 
tributaries,  and  brought  to  Guayaquil  in  steamboats, 
balsas , canoes,  and  other  conveyances.  It  being  the 
principal  staple  of  Guayaquil,  the  good  or  bad  success 
of  the  crop  generally  determines  the  rate  of  foreign 
exchange.  Spain  receives  the  largest  share  of  the 
exportation,  if  not  fully  one  half. 

Panama  hats , most  of  which  are  manufactured 


and  other  villages  on  the  coast,  where  it  is  the  only 
business  of  the  inhabitants.  During  latter  years,  how- 
ever, there  has  been  a great  falling  off  in  this  article, 
owing  to  the  introduction  of  other  hats  of  greater 


in  the  hat-making  districts,  which,  for  want  of  water, 
lmost  without  agriculture. 


. The  quina  bark  of  Ecuador  (cascarilla)  has  re- 
pv^edly  attracted  the  attention  of  the  scientific  as  well 
as  the  commercial  world.  In  1859  Mr.  Clements  R. 


State  for  India  to  superintend  the  collection  of  chin- 
cliona  plants  and  seeds  in  South  America,  and  their  in- 
troduction into  India  ; an  experiment  which,  according 
to  the  latest  advices  from  that  country,  will  prove  a 
complete  success.1  While  reserving  to  himself  the  task 
of  exploring  the  quina  forests  of  Peru,  Mr.  Markham 
secured  for  the  exploration  of  the  Equatorian  bark 
regions  the  services  of  Mr.  Richard  Spruce,  a botanist 
of  high  standing  in  the  scientific  world.  The  several 
interesting  reports  published  by  the  latter  contain  a 
great  many  items  of  useful  information,  not  only  with 
reference  to  the  botanical  but  general  geographical 

1 See  the  very  interesting  work  of  Mr.  Markham,  Travels  in  Peru  and 


in  Ecuador,  principally  at  Santa  Helena,  Montecristi, 


cheapness.  This  has  led  to  great  poverty  and  distress 


Markham  was  appointed  by  the  British  Secretary  of 


J*uha,  while  superintending  the  Collection  of  Chinchona  Plants  and  Seeds  in 
Sout/i  America  and  their  introduction  into  India.  London,  1862. 


16 


FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH— AMERICANS. 


features  of  the  country,  and  will  frequently  be  referred 
to  in  the  course  of  these  pages.1  - 

The  exports  of  the  country  are  in  no  proportion  to 
the  richness  and  fertility  of  its  soil  and  the  variety  of 
its  climate.  The  lowlands  of  the  coast,  intersected  by 
navigable  rivers  in  all  directions,  produce  cacao,  rice, 
coffee,  sugar,  tobacco,  cotton,  caoutchouc,  copal  gum,' 
vanilla,  sarsaparilla,  salt,  petroleum,  dyewoods,  etc.,  etc., 
etc.  They  produce  cattle,  game,  horses,  and  mules  ; 
/ and  a boundless  variety  of  fruits,  such  as  plantains, 
oranges,  lemons,  pineapples  (perhaps  the  best  in  the 
world),  melons,  bananas,  limes,  nisperos,  mangos, 
cocoa-nuts,  mameys,  alligator  - pears,  guavas,  guay- 
avas,  etc.,  etc.,  etc.  They  also  abound  in  timber  for 
ship  and  house  building,  among  which  the  guachapeli , 
said  to  harden  in  water  and  to  be  almost  incorruptible, 
deserves  particular  mention.  A short  distance  from  the 
lowlands  of  the  coast  — a distance  which  by  the  aid  of 
good  roads  might  be  reduced  to  a mere  nothing  — are 
the  cool  and  healthy  table-lands  of  the  interior,  abound- 
ing in  mineral  wealth,  and  furnishing  almost  all  the 
products  of  the  temperate  zone,  such  as  wheat,  barley, 
indian-corn,  pulse,  potatoes,  European  vegetables  and 
fruits,  etc.,  etc.  If  the  resources  of  the  country  were 
properly  developed,  it  would  be  one  of  the  richest  in  the 
world.  But  there  are  too  many  causes  at  work  which 
prevent  its  agricultural  progress.  In  the  lowlands,  the 
great  and  almost  insurmountable  drawback  is  the 
want  of  laborers,  owing  to  the  thinness  of  the  popula- 


1 In  the  province  of  Loja,  the  most  southern  district  of  Ecuador,  the  heal- 
ing virtues  of  the  quinquina  bark  were  first  made  known  to  Europeans  in 
the  year  1630.  In  1638  the  wife  of  the  viceroy  of  Peru,  the  Countess  of 
Chinchon,  was  cured  by  it  of  an  intermittent  fever  at  Lima,  for  which 
reason  Linnaeus,  long  afterwards,  named  the  whole  genus  of  quinine  yield- 
ing trees  “ chinchona.” 


ROADS  TO  THE  INTERIOR.  — IDA  PFEIFFER.  17 


tion,  tlie  enervating  effects  of  the  climate,  the  system 
of  peonage,  and  the  unsettled  state  of  the  country  with 
its  continual  revolutions  and  impressments.  Other 
dead-weights  to  agricultural  development  are  the  diez - 
mos  or  tithes,  the  tenth  part  of  all  the  crops  which  / 
must  be  paid  for  the  maintenance  of  the  church  estab-'' 
lishment,  and  the  primicias  or  first-fruits,  a contribu- 
tion exacted  for  the  benefit  of  the  local  curates,  and 
weighing  principally  upon  the  small  proprietors.  But 
all  this  will  be  explained  in  a more  appropriate  place.  ( 
The  roads  to  the  interior,  as  I have  already  said,  are 
impassable  during  the  rainy  season.  Their  southern 
termination  is  nearly  concealed  by  a rank  tropical  veg- 
etation, or  obstructed  by  fallen  trees  undergoing  dif- 
ferent stages  of  decav  ; and  thus  is  bad  enough  during 
the  dry  season.  But  when  the  steep  ascents  and  de- 
scents of  the  mountain  ranges  are  made  slippery  by 
the  incessant  showers  of  winter  ; when  the  ravines 
which  must  be  passed  are  full  of  water,  mud,  and  tum- 
bling stones,  and  the  pools  and  quagmires  bottomless, 
all  commercial  intercourse  between  Guayaquil  and  the 
interior  remains  suspended.  Should  any  article  in  the 
shape  of  a bale  or  box  arrive  at  Guayaquil  during  the 
rainy  season,  the  owner,  who  may  be  in  Quito,  must 
wait  for  it  perhaps  six  or  eight  months,  or  till  the  roads 
become  naturally  passable.  With  the  exception  of  the 
letter-carriers,  nobody  travels  during  the  wet  season 
whose  business  does  not  absolutely  require  it.  Poor 
Ida  Pfeiffer,  the  celebrated  Austrian  traveller,  who 
thought  that  she  would  be  able  to  accomplish  what  the 
letter-carriers  could  do,  undertook  the  journey,  against 
the  urgent  remonstrances  of  her  friends,  in  March, 
1852.  What  a horrible  time  she  had,  when,  poorly 
prepared,  and  almost  without  companions,  she  climbed 
2 


18  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISIi-AMKRlCANS. 


over  the  Ancles,  more  on  foot  than  on  horseback,  slip- 
ping and  falling  almost  at  every  step,  she  has  described 
in  one  of  her  books,  “ A Lady’s  Second  Journey 
round  the  World?’ 1 

Before  setting  out  for  the  interior,  — a journey  which 
I must  be  made  on  horseback  or  mules, — certain  prepara- 
tions are  necessary.  An  attendant  will  have  to  be  pro- 
cured in  the  first  place,  to  be  your  servant,  guide,  and, 
when  necessary,  your  cook.  Saddles  and  bridles  must 
be  purchased,  for  they  cannot  be  hired  with  the  horses. 
Ponchos  for  warm  and  cold  weather,  and  as  part  of 
your  bedding  at  night,  should  be  bought,  and  an  in- 
dian  rubber  jpowcAt?,  called  encauchaclo , as  a protection 
against  the  rain.  No  native  ever  travels  without  such 
an  encauchado  strapped  to  his  saddle,  an  oil-cloth  cover 
for  his  straw  hat,  and  trousers  made  of  leather — tiger, 
dog,  or  goat  skins  with  the  hair  left  on  them  — over 
his  pantaloons.  These  latter  are  greatly  preferable  to 
our  leggings,  because  they  keep  the  knees  warm,  while 
they  protect  the  legs  against  the  rain.  They  are 
called  zamarros  or  calzones  de  cuero.  The  best  zamarros 
are  made  in  the  southern  province  of  New  Granada, 
from  whence  they  are  imported  into  Ecuador.  I 

1 I cannot  judge  of  other  parts  of  Mrs.  Pfeiffer’s  work;  but  her  two  chap- 
ters on  Ecuador,  although  they  contain  a great  deal  of  truth,  are  full  of  mis- 
conceptions and  inaccuracies.  As  a personal  narrative,  however,  they  are 
very  interesting.  Her  adventures  in  Ecuador  were  throughout  of  an  un- 
pleasant character.  Her  involuntary  bath  in  the  River  Guavas,  her  dread- 
ful journey  over  the  mountains  during  the  worst  month  of  the  year,  and 
her  outrageous  reception  by  the  rabble  of  Quito,  were  fearful  trials  for  the 
poor  old  lady.  The  scandalous  reception  she  met  with  on  her  first  appear- 
ance in  the  streets  of  Quito,  must,  however,  be  attributed  to  the  extravagant 
and  ridiculous  manner  in  which  she  dressed.  At  a place  where  foreign  la- 
dies are  seen  but  very  seldom,  the  appearance  of  a strange  old  woman  on,a 
donkey,  in  a costume  exquisitely  ridiculous,  with  a bonnet  which  every 
where  else  would  have  excited  merriment,  and  a butterfly  net  now  shoul- 
dered like  a musket,  now  carried  like  a lance,  could  not  fail  to  draw  a bois- 
terous crowd  around  her. 


TRAVELLING  EQUIPMENTS. 


19 


would  advise  the  foreign  traveller  to  adopt  the  riding 
costume  of  the  natives.  It  is  very  comfortable,  and 
splendidly  adapted  to  the  different  climates  and  tem- 
peratures through  which  he  will  have  to  pass.  In  the 
armor  of  a fine  soft  zamarro , an  oil-cloth  cover  to  my 
straw  hat,  and  a long  encauchado  protecting  my  neck 
and  body,  and  covering  even  my  knees  and  saddle- 
bags, I travelled  for  hours  dry  and  comfortable,  in  the 
most  drenching  rains.  The  red  woolen  poncho  which 
is  generally  worn  in  the  interior,  the  checkered  tiger- 
skin  leggings  or  long-haired  goat-skin  zamarros , the 
red  or  yellow  oil-cloth  cover  on  the  hat  ( funda ),  and 
the  huge  Mexican  spurs  and  brass  stirrups  in  the  form 
of  shoes  or  slippers,  and  in'  many  cases,  the  linen  or 
silk  masks  with  or  without  goggles,  worn  by  gentlemen 
to  protect  the  face  and  eyes  against  the  sun,  wind,  and 
sand,  give  the  mountaineers  a most  fantastic  appear- 
ance, filling  the  unexperienced  foreign  traveller  with 
apprehensions  of  robbers  or  highwaymen.  Such  appre- 
hensions, however,  are  entirely  unfounded.  There  is 
perhaps  no  country  in  the  world  in  which  one  can  travel 
alone  and  unarmed  with  more  perfect  security  than 
in  the  interior  of  Ecuador.  A saddle  cover  ( pello7i ) 
made  of  cotton,  wool,  or  horse-hair,  to  give  you  a soft 
seat  during  so  long  a journey  ; a little  valise  ( maletero ) 
to  be  strapped  to  your  saddle,  containing  soap,  candles, 
matches,  towels,  linen,  combs,  etc.,  etc.,  and  two  saddle- 
bags ( alforjas ) with  eatables  and  other  comforts,  will 
complete  your  equipment.  I should  also  advise  you  to 
provide  yourself  with  travelling  or  camp  beds,  because 
in  many  of  the  miserable  hovels  in  which  joyt  may 
have  to  pass  the  night  you  would  not  feel  inclined  to 
“ rough  it  ” on  the  ground,  tormented  by  fleas  and 
other  vermin.  Your  ponchos  will  be  your  blankets  at 


20  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPAN ISH— AMERICAN S. 


night,  and  the  saddle  cover  ( pellon ) is  often  used  to 
supply  the  want  of  a mattress  or  pillow. 

And  now  you  are  ready  to  start  for  Bodegas.  For- 
merly you  had  to  go  there  in  canoes,  waiting  for  the 
tide  to  carry  you  up,  and  exposed  to  a merciless  trop- 
ical sun.  It  took  two  days,  or  the  greater  part  of  two 
days,  to  get  there.  You  had  to  pass  a horrible  night 
at  Samborondon,  or  some  other  miserable  place,  con- 
sisting of  a few  bamboo  huts  on  the  river  bank,  and 
a few  houses  built  on  rafts  (balsas)  on  the  river  itself, 
with  alligators  all  around  you  and  mosquitoes  tattooing 
you  all  over.  But  now,  thanks  to  American  enter- 
prise, you  steam  up  the  majestic  river,  in  neat  and 
commodious  steamboats,  propelled  by  American  ma- 
chinery, and  giving  you  the  benefit  of  a delightful 
draught  of  air,  making  you  forget  how  near  you  are  to 
the  equator.  The  steamers  start  with  the  tide  and 
make  the  trip  in  from  six  to  eight  hours.  The  trip  is 
very  pleasant  and  interesting.  The  vegetation  on  both 
sides  of  the  river  is  rich  and  luxuriant.  Forests  of 
plantain  trees  line  the  banks.  Cacao  and  coffee  plan- 
tations arrest  the  traveller’s  eye,  interchanging  with 
long  rows  of  jungle  and  impenetrable  brushwood. 
The  bread-tree,  the  mango-tree,  the  aguacate , and  the 
cotton-tree  break  on  your  delighted  vision.  And 
above  all  the  luxuriant  growth  and  fragrance,  the  ma- 
jestic cocoa  palm  raises  its  melancholy  crown,  remind- 
ing you  that  you  are  in  foreign  lands,  far  away  from 
the  scenes  of  your  childhood,  far  away  from  the  be- 
loved ones  at  home.  Oh,  how  often,  when  I travelled, 
surrounded  by  the  richness  of  a tropical  vegetation, 
did  1 long  for  the  sight  of  a winter  landscape  at  home. 
With  the  snow  that  covers  the  fields  and  roofs,  and 
beards  the  branches  of  the  leafless  tree ; with  the  ici- 


HOME  THOUGHTS  IN  A FOREIGN  LAND. 


21 


:les  hanging  down  from  your  windows,  and  the  frozen 
rlass  panes  forming  thousands  of  fantastic  figures  and 
crystallized  halls  and  domes  ; with  the  river  over  which 
die  merry  skaters  dash,  so  many  of  the  dearest  mem- 
ories of  our  childhood  are  entwined.  Think  of  a 
merry  Christmas  night  at  home  ; think  of  the  dear  old 
folks  gathered  around  the  crackling  chimney-fire ; 
listen  to  the  familiar  voices  that  perhaps  never,  never 
more  will  strike  your  ear  ; think  of  the  playmates  of 
your  childhood,  romping  with  you  around  the  room, 
and  the  girls  laughing,  and  the  old  folks  smiling  ; steal 
away  to  the  window,  and  look  at  the  splendid  snow- 
robe  covering  the  garden  and  the  fields  outside,  with 
the  stars  twinkling  above,  and  the  calm  and  blissfu. 
rays  of  the  moon  resting  mildly  on  the  virgin  snow. 
There  is  home  again  ; there  is  your  father,  your 
mother,  your  brothers,  and  sisters  ; there  is  the  maiden 
to  whom  your  trembling  lips  first  stammered  a confes- 
sion of  your  boyish  love.  But  no,  — awake  : it  is  the 
palm-tree  that  stares  at  you,  the  ugly  alligator  basks 
in  an  enervating  sun,  the  parrot  whirs  shrieking 
through  the  air,  the  monkey  chatters  on  the  tree,  the 
gallinazo  perches  silently  on  the  withered  branch,  the 
snake  steals  through  the  hushes,  and  you  are  a lonely 
traveller  in  a foreign  land. 


CHAPTER  III. 


Alligators.  — The  Town  of  Babahoyo,  or  Bodegas.  — Hiring  Horses.  — Ar* 
rieros.  — Galled  and  Jaded  Beasts.  — Packing.  — Indian  Endurance.  — 
The  Journey.  — The  Tropical  Forest.  — No  Great  Race  has  ever  sprung 
from  the  Tropics.  — Savaneta.  — Description  of  Houses  on  the  Ptoad.  — 
Punta  Plavas.  — Camellones  or  Camels’  Backs.  — Nights  in  the  Forest. 
— Mysterious  Noises. — Mata  Blanca.  — Pisagua. — A Horrid  Road. — As- 
cending the  Cordillera.  — Jorje.  — Cuesta  de  Angas.  — Camino  Real.  — 
Eating  IJce.  — Emerging  from  the  Tropics.  — Superstition.  — View 
from  Mt.  Pizcurcu.  — A Forgotten  Corner  of  the  World.  — A Dangerous 
Descent.  — Villages  in  the  Valley  of  Chimbo. — The  Polite  “ Jefe  Poli- 
tico.” — Socabon.  — Lamas.  — The  Town  of  Guaranda.  — Change 
Horses.  — Preparations  for  passing  Chimborazo. 

The  number  of  alligators  ( lagartos ) on  the  river 
banks  between  Guayaquil  and  Bodegas,  is  legion. 
They  lie  on  the  sand  near  the  water,  basking  iif  the 
sunshine,  and  presenting  the  appearance  of  huge  logs 
of  wood.  I once  counted  more  than  thirty  in  one 
group.  Sometimes  cattle  will  graze  near  them,  ap- 
parently unaware  of  the  dangerous  neighborhood. 
They  grow  to  an  astonishing  size,  and  are  dangerous, 
not  only  to  calves  and  foals,  but  also  to  unwary  per- 
sons, especially  children.1  If  an  alligator  lias  once 
tasted  human  flesh,  or  cattle,  lie  is  said  to  become 

1 Stuart  Cochrane  gives  the  following  account  of  a thrilling  incident  on 
the  River  Magdalena,  in  New  Granada:  “A  young  woman  near  Narie, 
escaped  the  fangs  of  one  of  these  monsters  by  an  effort  of  singular  presence 
of  mind.  She  had  waded  a little  way  into  the  water,  when  the  alligator 
seized  her  by  the  thigh,  and  began  to  drag  her  from  the  shore.  She  in* 
stantly  thrust  her  fingers  into  his  eyes,  the  anguish  of  which  caused  him 
immediately  to  let  go  his  prey;  and  thus  she  escaped  with  no  other  injury 
than  a lacerated  limb.”  — Journal  of  a Residence  and  Travels  in  Colombia 
durinf]  the  years  1823  and  1824. 


ALLIGATORS.  — TOWN  OF  BODEGAS. 


23 


bravo  or  cebado , that  is,  to  conceive  such  a relish  for 
this  kind  of  food,  that  he  watches  every  opportunity 
to  gratify  this  propensity.  If  it  were  not  for  the  gal- 
linazos , who  dig  up  and  devour  the  eggs  which  the 
female  alligator  has  buried  in  the  sand,1  and  for  the 
voracity  of  the  male,  who  devours  as  many  of  his 
young  when  they  are  freshly  hatched  as  the  female 
cannot  carry  away  on  her  neck  and  back,  they  would 
be,  to  use  the  language  of  Stephenson,2  “ as  numerous 
as  flies,  and  become  the  proprietors  of  the  surrounding 
country.” 

Bodegas,  or  Babahoyo,  the  capital  of  the  province 
De  los  Rios,  consists  of  a long  row  of  frame  houses  on 
the  river  bank,  a plaza,  and  a few  side  streets.  It  is 
inhabited  by  a few  white  store-keepers,  sundry  govern- 
ment officials,  and  hacienda-owners ; but  the  over- 
whelming majority  of  the  population  consists  of  ne- 
groes and  mulattoes.  The  melancholy  palm-tree  over- 
tops the  miserable  wooden  buildings,  on  the  roofs  of 
which  innumerable  gallinazos  perch.  Hotels  or  inns 
there  are  none.  The  strangers,  of  whom  there  are 
always  a great  many  going  to  or  coming  from  the 
sierra  (interior),  have  to  stay  on  a balsa , or  to  rent 
rooms  at  extravagant  prices,  and  take  their  meals  at 
an  eating-house. 

One  half  of  the  year  Bodegas  and  all  the  surround- 
ing country  is  under  water.  The  inundation  generally 
sets  in  all  at  once.  It  begins  at  Christmas  and  ends  in 
May.  During  this  time  the  water  reaches  nearly  the 
upper  stories  of  the  houses,  which  are  built  on  piles, 
and  the  daily  intercourse  of  the  inhabitants  is  carried 
on  in  boats  and  canoes,  from  one  house  to  another. 

1 Ulloa  and  George  Juan,  A Voyage  to  South  America. 

2 Twenty  Years'  Residence  in  South  America. 


24  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


Travellers  bound  for  the  interior  must  then  hire  a 
canoe  to  Savaneta,  whence  the  journey  on  horseback 
becomes  possible. 

The  24th  of  June,  (when  I first  arrived  at  Bodegas,) 
the  festival  of  St.  John  Baptist,  is  a great  holiday.  It 
is  celebrated  by  a queer  sort  of  horse-racing.  One 
ridei’,  with  a cock  in  his  hand,  dashes  along  the  river 
road,  and  is  followed  by  the  others,  who  endeavor  to 
snatch  the  bird  from  him.  If  he  is  skillful,  he  will 
evade  his  pursuers  by  suddenly  wheeling  around  and 
darting  away  in  an  opposite  direction,  or  he  will  retain 
the  animal  by  the  rapid  motion  of  his  arm.  As  soon 
as  the  bird  is  taken  away  from  him,  his  pursuers  chase 
its  new  possessor,  — and  so  the  sport  goes  on  until 
men  and  horses  are  exhausted.  The  neighborhood  of 
Bodegas  is  celebrated  for  breeding  good  horses,  and  a 
great  number  of  foals  (^potros')  are  annually  sold  into 
the  interior. 

Speaking  of  horses  reminds  us  that  our  principal 
difficulty  is  about  to  commence.  We  must  hire  horses 
and  mules  for  our  journey.  Most  of  the  proprietors 
of  the  animals  which  we  now  want,  live  at  Guaranda, 
in  the. cool  and  picturesque  valley  of  Chimbo,  at  the 
foot  of  Chimborazo.  They  come  to  Bodegas  with 
freight  and  passengers  from  the  interior,  and  remain 
until  they  get  a return  load.  Our  first  trouble  is  to 
agree  with  them  on  a reasonable  price.  Like  all  Ser- 
ranos (inhabitants  of  the  interior,  from  sierra , moun- 
tain-range), they  begin  by  asking  an  exorbitant  sum, 
and  gradually  let  down.  To  agree  with  a serrano  on 
any  'business  transaction,  is  the  most  difficult  task  in 
the  world.  He  haggles  without  end,  and  when  we 
believe  to  be  through  with  him  at  last,  he  makes  new 
demands,  or  invents  additional  conditions  which  lead 


HIRING  HORSES.  — ARRIEROS. 


25 


to  prolonged  discussions.  A foreigner  visiting  Ecuador 
must  arm  himself  with  a good  stock  of  patience.  The 
size  and  weight  of  his  baggage  are  another  source 
of  difficulties.  The  arrieros  (muleteers)  will  eye  it 
most  distrustfully,  exchange  significant  looks  with  each 
other,  lift  it  up  and  set  it  down  again  as  if  to  weigh  it, 
then  whisper  to  each  other  and  afterwards  return  to 
the  baggage  to  give  it  another  trial.  The  result  of 
all  this  will  be  the  expression  of  an  apprehension  that 
your  carga  (baggage)  is  too  heavy  for  their  beasts  — 
the  usual  load  for  one  of  which  is  ten  arrobas,  or  two 
hundred  and  fifty  pounds.  The  hire  being  finally 
agreed  upon,  the  question,  who  is  to  pay  the  fodder  for 
the  beasts,  will  be  raised.  It  is  the  custom  that  the 
traveller  pays  the  fodder  for  the  saddle-horses,  and  the 
arriero,  for  the  beasts  of  burden.  Though  this  rule  is 
universally  recognized,  the  arriero  will  always  attempt 
to  impose  the  whole  expense  on  his  employer.  This 
part  of  the  business  being  disposed  of,  the  controversy 
will  turn  on  how  much  of  the  hire  is  to  be  paid  in 
advance.  The  arriero  invariably  asks  for  the  whole 
amount ; and  it  is  the  custom  in  the  interior  of  Ecua- 
dor to  pay  something  in  advance  on  every  contract. 
But  as  the  beasts  may  give  out,  or  the  arriero  himself 
may  prove  dishonest,  prudence  will  always  dictate  to 
retain  as  much  as  possible.  But  in  this  the  traveller 
will  not  succeed  without  additional  quarreling.  All 
these  preliminaries  being  settled  at  last,  the  arriero  is 
notified  that  the  beasts  must  be  forthcoming  at  a cer- 
tain  hour.  I should  advise  always  to  fix  an  early  hour, 
as  your  man  hardly  ever  comes  up  to  time.  You 
want  him  to  be  on  hand  by  daybreak,  and  he  will 
make  his  appearance  by  seven  or  eight  o’clock.  At 
last  he  comes,  and  presents  his  beasts  to  your  mortified 


26  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


and  astonished  gaze.  Miserable,  thin,  and  decrepit 
jades,  which  threaten  to  give  over  after  the  first  half- 
day’s journey,  are  to  carry  you  over  the  Andes.  In 
many  cases  their  hacks  are  shockingly  galled,'  and 
sometimes  entirely  raw  to  the  whole  extent  of  the 
saddle.  Hideous  sores,  suppurating  and  full  of  crawl- 
ing worms,  offend  your  sight  and  nostrils.  The 
stench  of  these  mataduras  generally  penetrates  through 
the  sweat-cloth  ( sudadero ) which  is  laid  on  the  ani- 
mal’s hack  under  the  saddle,  causing  nausea  to  the 
rider.  Nevertheless,  such  animals  are  considered  fit 
for  service,  at  least  to  carry  cargas , as  long  as  they 
can  move  on  ; this  avaricious  cruelty  being  the  reason 
why  so  many  of  the  narrow,  mountain  defiles  are 
blocked  up  with  the  carcasses  or  skeletons  of  dead 
horses,  asses,  or  mules,  which  nobody  thinks  of  remov- 
ing. 

© 

Carga  suelta  is  a term  used  to  denote  goods  which 
are  sent  by  merchants  on  droves  of  beasts,  independent 
of  travellers.  The  beasts  used  for  this  purpose  must 
live  on  what  grass  they  find  on  the  sides  of  the  road  as 
they  go  along,  or  when  they  are  let  loose  at  night. 
Many  of  these  animals  are  in  a most  pitiable  condition  ; 
some  so  knock-kneed  that  by  repeatedly  striking  one 
against  the  other  the  flesh  is  worn  from  the  bone ; 
and  others  with  their  hoofs  turned  inwards,  hobbling 
on  their  fetlock  joints  ; yet  performing  the  service  of 
sound  animals. 

The  government  experiences  much  less  difficulty  in 
dealing  with  arrieros.  When  the  President  or  the 
General-in-Chief  proposes  to  travel,  all  the  beasts  that 
are  within  reach  are  seized  and  impounded,  and  the 
best  selected  by  the  managing  officer.  The  compensa- 
tion paid  to  the  owner,  provided  he  gets  any  thing,  is 


INDIAN  ENDURANCE. 


27 


then  determined  by  the  government,  and  not  by  the 
arriero. 

Your  baggage  must  now  be  put  on  the  mules,  for 
which  purpose  wooden  pack-saddles  ( albardas ) are 
used.  As  deep  rivers  are  to  be  forded,  and  on  the 
high  paramos  rains  are  not  unfrequent,  even  in  the  dry 
season,  it  is  customary  to  wrap  trunks  or  boxes  in 
pieces  of  strong  oil-cloth  (encerrados),  which  must  be 
procured  at  Guayaquil ; or  to  cover  them  with  the 
dried  leaves  of  the  vijao,  and  then  to  sew  them  up  in 
common  sackcloth.  The  packing  takes  its  time,  as  the 
loads  will  have  to  be  so  distributed  as  to  keep  an  equal 
weight  on  each  side  of  the  animal.  Every  dav  of  your 
journey  the  tedious  operation  of  loading  the  animals, 
and  strapping  your  maleteros  (valises),  ponchos,  and 
encauchados  to  your  saddle  has  to  be  repeated,  causing 
such  delay  that  you  are  forcibly  reminded  of  the  truth 
of  the  Spanish  proverb  : “ El  salir  de  la  posada  la 
media  jornada”  (“To  get  out  of  the  inn  is  one  half 
of  the  journey  ” ). 

The  chief  arriero  always  has  two  or  three  servants 
or  peones  with  him,  to  drive  the  beasts,  load  and  un- 
load the  animals,  and  push  them  on  or  extricate  them 
when  necessary.  These  arrieros  and  peones,  like  all 
other  Indians,  and  a great  number  of  the  Oholos  (half- 
breeds)  go  barefoot,  their  cotton  breeches  never  reach- 
ing further  than  to  their  knees  (only  the  Indian 
alcaldes  or  magistrates  wear  long  breeches).  They 
can  walk,  or  rather  trot,  behind  the  horses  fourteen  or 
fifteen  leagues  a day,  and  probably  more  if  required, 
over  rugged  mountain  roads,  through  swamps,  rivers, 
and  rocky  defiles,  now  ascending  steep  acclivities,  now 
hurrying  down  into  deep  and  muddy  ravines  ( quebra - 
das).  They  always  sleep  in  the  open  ah,  lying  down 


28  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


on  the  bare  ground,  and  covering  themselves  with 
them  ragged  ponchos,  — one  night  in  the  damp  and 
miasmatic  lowlands  of  the  coast,  another,  perhaps,  on 
the  freezing  paramos  of  the  high  Cordillera.  Their 
food  they  generally  carry  with  them.  It  always  con- 
sists of  a quantity  of  barley-meal,  which  they  eat  raw, 
a few  pieces  of  agi  (Cayenne  pepper),  which  they  take 
like  fruit,  and  sometimes  a bag  of  toasted  indian  corn. 
These  provisions  maintain  them  during  the  day,  and  in 
the  evening  they  mostly  manage  to  get,  either**  at  the 
expense  of  the  traveller  or  the  chief  arriero,  a plate 
of  locro  (a  potato  soup,  mixed  up  with  cheese,  eggs, 
and  Spanish  pepper).  When  eating  at  somebody  else’s 
expense  the  Indian  can  devour  fabulous  quantities ; 
but  when  faring  at  his  own  cost,  he  is  rather  parsimo- 
nious, and  prefers  drinking  to  eating.  He  likes  to  take 
aguardiente  (rum),  but  his  favorite,  and  I may  say  in- 
dispensable, drink  is  chicha  — a beverage  brewed  from 
indian  corn  in  copper  kettles.  Its  taste  is  rather  acid, 
its  color  a dirty  yellow.  He  prefers  it,  not  only  be- 
cause it  was  the  beverage  of  his  ancestors,  but  chiefly 
on  account  of  its  cheapness.  The  vice  of  drunkenness 
does  not  affect  his  iron  constitution.  His  powers  of 
endurance  are  indeed  wonderful.  The  curate  of  an 
Indian  village  once  told  me  that  the  mortality  among 
Indian  children  is  very  great,  owing  to  the  recklessness 
oftheir  parents,  and  to  the  prejudice  of  the  Indian 
against  scientific  medical  treatment ; but  that  having 
once  reached  a certain  age,  the  Indian’s  health  be- 
comes almost  indestructible  — a proof  of  which  is  the 
frequency  of  remarkable  cases  of  longevity,  many  of 
which  have  come  under  my  own  observation. 

But  it  is  time  to  begin  our  journey.  Between  Bo- 
degas and  Savaneta  the  fiat  country  extends,  which  is 


THE  “SUNNY  SOUTH.” 


29 


inundated  during  five  months  of  the  year.  It  is  most 
unhealthy  when  it  begins  to  dry,  and  innumerable 
swamps  and  puddles  are  left  exhaling  noxious  miasmas. 
The  healthiest  time  is  from  August  to  December.  O 

Millions  of  white  butterflies  hover  around  you  as 
you  ride  along.  Sometimes  swarms  of  them  are  on  the 
ground  sucking  moisture.  When  disturbed  by  the 
approach  of  your  horses,  they  fly  up,  enwrapping  you 
on  all  sides  like  the  flakes  of  a snow-storm.  Caravans 
of  laden  mules  and  asses,  followed  by  their  drivers  on 
foot,  pass  you  during  the  day.  After  dark,  myriads 
of  fire-flies  and  lightning-bugs  glitter  in  the  jungle  and 
brushwood,  appearing  and  disappearing  like  fairy  gems 
in  the  black  diadem  of  night.  Swarms  of  mosquitoes 
will  molest  the  traveller  when  he  lies  down  to  rest, 
while  his  hosts  will  alarm  him*with  stories  of  snakes,1 
tigers,  or  poisonous  spiders. 

I shall  not  attempt  to  describe  a tropical  country. 
It  has  been  done  by  other  and  abler  pens.  The 
luxuriant  vegetation,  the  majestic  trees,  united  by 
garlands  of  creepers  and  overgrown  with  all  sorts  of 
parasites,  the  impenetrable  jungle  and  brushwood 
covering  treacherous  swamps,  the  boundless  variety  of 
fruit  and  flowers,  the  shrieks  of  the  parrot,  the  chat- 
tering of  the  monkey,  the  cooing  of  the  turtle-dove, 
and  the  inexplicable  noises  of  many  other  inhabitants 
of  the  forest,  invisible  to  the  bewildered  eye,  have  not 
that  charm  for  me  which  they  have  for  other  trav- 
ellers. I do  not  share  the  enthusiasm  of  poets  and 
novelists  for  the  “ Sunny  South.”  I feel  alarmed  at 
the  paleness  and  sickly  appearance  of  the  poor  people 

1 The  equis , a large  and  deadly  snake,  is  a great  pest  in  the  plains  of 
Guayaquil.  It  takes  its  name  from  being  marked  with  crosses  (like  the 
letter  X)  all  along  the  back.  — Spruce’s  Report  on  an  Expedition  to  pro- 
cure Seeds  and  Plants  of  the  Red  Baric  Tree ; London:  1881. 


30  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


who  dwell  iii  those  regions,  where  Nature  proffers  gifts 
with  one  hand  while  she  takes  health  and  life  with  the 
other.  Behind  all  that  glowing  verdure  and  alluring 
exuberance  destruction  cowers  in  boundless  variety  of 
form.  The  appearance  is  beauty,  but  troublesome 
insects  and  venomous  reptiles,  fevers  and  dysenteries, 
indolence  and  enervation,  the  reality.  None  of  the 
great  races  of  the  earth  have  sprung  from  the  tropics. 
The  nearer  we  approach  the  torrid  zone,  the  lower  we 
find  man  in  the  scale  of  civilization.  The  North,  with 
its  ungenial  winters,  snow-storms  and  icicles,  is,  after 
all,  the  true  home  of  comfdrt,  progress,  and  liberty. 

The  first  village  of  note  after  leaving  Bodegas 1 is 
La  Mona,  a group  of  about  twenty  houses,  on  the 
river  of  the  same  name.  The  river  has  to  be  forded, 
the  water  reaching  to  the  horse’s  belly.  After  passing 
Palo  Largo,  a large  heath  without  trees  of  any  kind, 
Savaneta  is  reached  — a miserable  village  of  hardly 
twenty  houses,  but  of  great  importance  during  the 
rainy  season,  as  I have  already  stated.  The  houses  in 
this  part  offtlie  country  are  almost  all  alike.  They  rest 
on  piles,  only  the  upper  story  being  inhabited.  The 
room  below  serves  as  a shelter  for  arrieros,  hogs,  and 
dogs,  and  for  the  baggage  of  travellers.  It  is  seldom 
that  we  find  a staircase ; generally  the  ascent  must  be 
made  on  a pole,  with  notches  cut  in  it  for  steps.  For 
a person  in  his  riding-dress,  or  for  ladies,  this  is  very 
inconvenient.  The  houses  scarcely  ever  have  more 
than  one  side  covered  with  a wall  Work  of  reeds  or 
cane.  Many  of  them  are  open  on  all  sides.  The 

1 There  is  another  road  to  Guaranda  by  way  of  San  Antonio  and  Pucara. 
It  is  the  one  described  by  Ulloa,  and  travelled  over  much  less  than  the  Sa- 
vaneta road.  I prefer  the  latter,  not  only  on  account  of  the  scenery,  but 
also  because  it  sooner  leads  you  out  of  the  regions  of  tropical  heat,  and  has 
more  and  better  accommodations. 


RESTING  PLACES.” 


31 


roof  is  covered  with  a palm-like  leaf  called  vijao , which 
grows  without  a stem.  The  flooring  consists  of  a cane 
( cana  brava'),  which  is  split  open  and  used,  instead  of 
boards.  Sometimes  a little  room  is  partitioned  off  by 
a square  inclosure  of  this  cana  brava , serving  as  a bed- 
room for  the  owner  of  the  building.  The  hammock  is 
the  principal,  and  in  many  cases  the  only,  piece  of  fur- 
niture. An  empty  wine  bottle,  which  you  throw  away, 
is  picked  up  by  your  host  as  a great  treasure.  Water 
is  kept  in  bamboos,  or  the  stems  of  the  guaduas  tree, 
corked  up  at  the  ends.  From  these  clumsy  jars  it 
is  poured  into  calabashes.  It  is  always  disgustingly 
warm. 

In  such  huts  I passed  many  a bad  night,  with 
chickens  roosting  over  me,  and  dogs  tearing  away  at 
my  saddle-bags.  These  latter  animals  ascend  the 
notched  pole,  which  serves  as  a staircase,  with  re- 
markable dexterity.  A night’s  lodging  is  granted 
to  the  traveller  without  charge.  He  pays  only  for 
the  fodder  of  the  beasts  and  the  eatables  he  buys, 
provided  he  can  get  any.  It  is  hardly  necessary  to 
ask  whether  you  are  allowed  to  stay.  The  question 
“ Hay  yerba  ?”  (whether  there  is  any  fodder  for  the 
beasts,)  is  the  only  important  one  to  be  asked.  Every 
house  on  the  public  highway  is  considered  a tarnbo  or 
posada  (resting-place).  At  one  of  these  wretched 
hovels  I once  saw  a man  cook  a soup,  which  he  invited 
me  to  buy.  I asked  him  whether  it  was  clean.  “ Oh, 
yes,”  he  said,  “ es  cosa  hecha  de  hombre  ” (it  is  made 
by  a man).  The  inference  to  be  drawn  from  this 
remark  as  to  the  cleanliness  of  the  other  sex,  was  cer- 
tainly not  very  complimentary.  Most  of  the  houses  I 
have  now  described  are  inhabited  by  negroes  and  mu- 
lattoes. 


32 


FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMKRICANS. 


The  road  from  Savaneta  to  Punta  Play  as  passes 
through  a forest  so  dense,  that  the  water  which  re- 
mains after  the  yearly  inundation,  scarcely  ever  dries, 
and  you  have  to  travel  for  many  a weary  mile  through 
water  which  splashes  you  all  over.  At  many  places 
the  jungle,  which  grows  with  astonishing  rapidity,  and 
the  branches  of  bushes  and  trees,  protrude  into  the 
road  and  have  to  be  cut  away  with  a macheta , a weapon 
which  many  of  the  arrieros  carry.  • This  instrument  is 
of  general  use  and  great  advantage,  the  blade  resem- 
bling  that  of  a ship’s  cutlass,  only  broader  and  curved 
toward  the  point,  made  of  wrought  iron,  which  will 
bend  but  not  break.  The  handles  are  usually  of  wood 
or  horn,  riveted  to  the  iron ; the  back  is  thick,  and  the 
edge  kept  sharp.  It  is  used  for  a great  many  purposes, 
serving  for  knife,  axe,  bill,  and  sometimes  for  a sword. 

Another  feature  of  the  road  which  considerably  re- 
tards your  progress,  is  the  great  number  of  camellones 
(deep  furrows  divided  by  transverse  ridges,  and  named 
after  their  resemblance  to  the  humps  on  a camel’s 
back).  These  furrows  are  worn  into  the  soft,  loamy 
\ soil  by  the  equable  step  of  beasts  of  burden  ; they  are 
N often  two  or  three  feet  deep,  and  filled  with  mud  and 
water.  If  they  are  deep,  the  horse  sinks  in  up  to  his 
breast,  dragging  his  belly  and  the  rider’s  feet  over  the 
ridges  which  divide  the  holes,  and  in  its  attempts  to 
get  out  again,  flounders  and  stumbles.  Still  these 
camellones  are  of  great  benefit  to  the  traveller  on  the 
steep  acclivities  and  descents  of  the  mountain  roads, 
where  they  prevent  the  horse  from  sliding  and  falling, 
and  hurling  its  rider  into  one  of  the  precipices  below. 
Thus  in  this  neglected  country  the  traveller  owes  a 
certain  degree  of  safety  to  what  he  feels  tempted  to  • 
curse  as  an  intolerable  inconvenience. 


STOPPING  FOR  THE  NIGHT. 


33 


When  stopping  for  the  night  at  one  of  the  huts 
along  the  road,  the  first  business,  as  I have  already 
said,  is  to  provide  fodder  for  the  horses.  On  the  coast 
it  is  gamalote ; 1 in  the  interior  lucerne,  which  the 
natives  call  alfalfa,  or  simply  yerba.  After  this  the 
unsaddling  and  unpacking  of  the  beasts  commences. 
The  baggage  remains  below,  while  the  saddles,  bridles, 
valises,  saddle-bags,  etc.,  are  carried  up-stairs.  Warm 
water  to  make  coffee  or  tea  will  next  have  to  be  asked 
for,  and  orders  must  be  given  for  the  supper  of  the 
servants.  To  boil  water  is  another  very  tedious  opera- 
tion with  these  cottagers,  and  when  it  is  brought  at 
last,- there  is  almost  always  too  little  of  it.  The  delays 
which  beset  every,  and  even  the  most  insignificant, 
transaction  in  the  interior,  already  begin  to  be  felt. 
The  saddle-bags  must  furnish  the  best  part  of  the 
supper,  unless  chickens  are  to  be  had,  in  which  case  I 
should  always  advise  to  buy  another  for  next  day’s 
breakfast.  After  supper  the  beds  are  made.  He  who 
carries  no  mattress  or  camp-bed  with  him,  must  spread 
some  of  his  ponchos  on  the  floor,  for  bedsteads  there 
are  none  in  the  hovels  of  the  lowlands.  At  first  it  is 
exceedingly  hot ; the  sultry  damps  of  night  commence 
to  creep  in  from  three  sides,  as  generally  but  one  side 
of  the  house  is  covered  ; but  little  of  the  surrounding 
country  can  be  seen,  and  the  clouds  come  down  oppres- 

1 “ The  blade  of  the  Gamalote  resembles  that  of  barley,  but  it  is  longer, 
broader,  thicker,  and  rougher.  The  green  is  deep  but  lively,  and  the  stalk 
diversified  with  knots  from  which  the  leaves,  which  are  strong  and  some- 
times two  lines  in  diameter,  have  their  origin.  When  the  gamalote  is  at 
its  full  growth,  the  height  of  water  during  the  floods,  by  rising  above  its  top, 
presses  it  down  and  rots  it,  so  that  when  the  waters  ebb  away,  the  earth 
seems  covered  with  it;  but  at  the  first  impression  of  the  sun  it  shoots  up 
again,  and  in  a few  days  abounds  in  the  same  plenty  as  before.  One  thing 
remarkable  in  it  is,  that  though  it  proves  so  nourishing  to  the  cattle  of  this 
district,  it  is  very  noxious  to  those  from  the  Cordillera,  as  has  been  often 
experienced.”  — Ulloa  and  George  Juan,  Voyage  to  South  America. 

3 


34  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


sively  low.  Cats  and  dogs  trip  over  the  sleeper  ; the 
inmates  of  the  house  tumble  about  until  a late  hour  of 
the  night ; the  mosquitoes  and  beetles  do  their  work,  and 
the  mata  blanca , a small,  scarcely  perceptible  insect  of 
the  mosquito  tribe,  tattoos  every  spot  of  the  skin  which 
it  finds  exposed,  sometimes  causing  painful  swelling ; 
the  toads  croak  in  the  neighboring  swamps  ; bats  flutter 
around  our  heads,  and  inexplicable  sounds  of  every 
description  frighten  us  in  our  sleep,  while  visions  of 
scorpions  and  tarantulas  haunt  our  heated  imagination. 
By  and  by  the  night  air  becomes  chilly ; cold  winds  pass 
over  the  sweating  brow  of  the  traveller ; every  thing  is 
cheerless,  dismal,  and  oppressive,  and  we  rejoice  to  be 
able  to  rise  at  last  and  prepare  our  departure.  After 
such  a night  at  Savaneta,  Punta  Playas,  Las  Penas,  or 
any  of  the  intermediate  cottages,  it  is  a great  relief  to 
see  daylight  again,  even  if  a fine  rain  should  trickle 
down  and  make  the  landscape  more  melancholy,  the 
roads  more  sloughy,  and  ourselves  more  uncomfortable. 
But  when  the  sun  rises  on  a clear  and  cloudless  day ; 
when  we  see  the  outposts  of  the  Cordillera,  covered 
with  beautiful  green  forests,  sharply  defined  in  the 
blue  sky,  we  shake  off  our  fatigue  cheerfully,  and  pro- 
r-ceed  with  new  courage  on  our  wearisome  journey. 

Through  cacao  and  sugar  plantations,  looking  some- 
times but  little  better  than  a wilderness,  our  road  leads 
us  to  Las  Penas.  This  latter  is  not  the  name  of  a vil- 
lage, although  some  miserable  houses  are  found  at 
considerable  distances  from  each  other,  but  derives  its 
name  from  the  fact  that  the  swamps  are  now  behind 
us,  and  stones  and  rocks  begin  to  cover  the  way 
and  annoy  the  horses.  And  now  we  begin,  at  first 
almost  imperceptibly,  to  ascend,  and  a sore  trial  of 
patience  is  in  store  for  us.  Little  Pisagua  and  Big 


PISAGUA. 


35 


Pisagua  have  to  be  passed.  Pisagua  is  the  name  of 
a forest  through  which  the  road  leads  from  Las  Penas 
to  the  Tambo  del  Rio  Limon.  I am  afraid  my  pen  will 
be  inadequate  to  convey  a true  idea  of  the  horrible 
state  of  that  portion  of  the  road,  even  during  the  dryest 
season  of  the  year.  Pisagua  is  a forest  — not  one  of 
those  green  and  beautiful  forests  which  make  us  feel 
well  and  contented  when  we  travel  through  them, 
but  a forest  like  those  we  should  imagine  on  the  dark 
and  gloomy  hanks  of  the  Stygian  river.1  It  is  a forest 
into  which  a cheering  ray  of  the  sun  seldom  penetrates. 
No  verdure  surrounds  us  excepting  the  crowns  of  the 
trees,  which  we  have  no  time  to  contemplate,  as  our 
attention  must  be  riveted  on  the  road  at  our  feet. 
Rocks  and  mud  seem  to  be  the  only  productions  of  this 
dreary  region.  The  atmosphere  is  damp,  and  the 
smell  of  the  long  puddles  through  which  we  are  com- 
pelled to  wade,  mouldy  and  chilling.  Our  way  can  no 
longer  be  called  a road.  It  is  apparently  the  rocky 
bed  of  a stream,  which  swells  into  a torrent  when  it 
rains.  Trunks  of  trees  have  fallen  across  the  miry 
path,  where  they  are  slowly  decaying,  while  nobody 
thinks  of  removing  them.  Through  some  of  the  thick- 
est  small  opening  have  been  hewn,  to  enable  the  ani- 
mals to  get  through.  At  other  points  the  fall  of  these 
trees  has  been  intercepted  bv  rocks  on  both  sides  of 
the  road,  so  as  to  form  low  doorways,  through  which 
we  must  pass  stooping.  We  ascend  and  descend  alter- 
nately over  rocks  and  stones,  so  near  each  other  as  to 
leave  scarcely  room  for  the  feet  of  the  annuals.  It  is 

1 “ Notwithstanding  the  vast  extent  of  the  unreclaimed  forests  in  Ecuador, 
hardly  any  part  of  them  is  still  without  an  owner,  if  we  except  the  territory 
disputed  between  Peru  and  Ecuador,  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  Cordillera, 
generally  called  Las  Montanas  del  Oriente."  — Richard  Spruce,  Report  on 
the  Expedition  to  procure  Seeds  and  Plants  of  the  Red  Ba  rk  Tree. 


36  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


almost  a miracle  to  see  the  beasts  stumble  over  them 
in  safety.  Where  there  are  no  rocks,  our  progress  is 
embarrassed  by  the  roots  of  gigantic  trees,  which  rise 
above  the  slippery  mire.  Deep  puddles  of  black  loam 
have  to  be  floundered  over.  Ccimellones  too,  out  of 
which  it  is  sometimes  exceedingly  difficult  to  extri- 
cate the  stumbling;  horses,  are  not  wanting;.  Rivers 
and  mountain  streams  in  the  openings  of  the  forest  have 
to  be  passed  time  and  again.  Some  of  them  are  so 
rapid,  not  only  in  the  rainy,  but  also  in  the  early  part 
of  the  dry  season,  that  the  beasts  are  in  danger  of 
being  swept  away  by  the  current,  which  would  dash 
them  against  frightful  rocks.  The  waters  rush  with 
such  velocity,  owing  to  the  great  declivity  in  the 
course  of  the  streams,  that  giddiness  is  produced  by: 
looking  into  the  water.  Experienced  travellers  will 
therefore  look  upwards  while  fording  such  a river. 
The  roaring  of  the  water  as  it  hurries  on  over  rocks 
and  precipices,  forming  numerous  cascades,  is  so  great, 
that  at  a distance  of  ten  feet  persons  cannot  understand 
each  other  without  screaming.  This  roaring  accompa- 
nies us  through  the  greater  part  of  Pisagua,  and  often 
we  hear  it  without  seeing  the  river  by  which  it  is  pro- 
duced. It  strikes  awe  to  the  soul  in  *he  lonely  wilder- 
ness. Over  some  of  the  streams  aerial  bridges  are 
formed,  consisting  of  one  or  two  trunks  of  trees,  over 
which  the  arrieros  pass,  while  their  animals  ford  the 
river  as  well  as  they  can,  encouraged  by  the  cries  and 
curses  of  their  drivers.  Then  again  defiles  will  have 
to  be  passed,  so  narrow  between  dripping  rocks,  that 
you  must  look  out  how  your  legs  are  squeezed  against 
the  sides.  In  these  defiles  troops  of  laden  mules  and 
asses,  which  you  meet  every  now  and  then,  will 
greatly  impede  and  embarrass  your  progress.  It  is  cus- 


LA  CEYBA. 


37 


tomary  to  hail  the  muleteers  at  the  other  outlet,  to  make 
them  stop  their  beasts  until  your  cavalcade  has  passed 
through. 

The  absence  of  all  signs  of  civilization  increases  the 
gloom  of  this  dreadful  region.  It  is  true  there  are 
some  miserable  huts,  even  in  the.  heart  of  Pisagua  ; 
but  they  resemble  the  crude  habitations  of  savages. 
Their  aspect  saddens  instead  of  encouraging.  It  is  a 
relief  to  meet  with  a drove  of  donkeys  and  their  driv- 
ers, and  hear  their  cries:  u Mulct!  Anda  ! Burro /” 
however  unpleasant  and  dangerous  such  an  encounter 
may  be  in  the  narrow  passages  or  on  the  precipitous 
hill-sides  of  the  road. 

At  last  you  emerge  from  gloomy  Pisagua,  and  pass- 
ing the  River  Liinon  or  Cristal  for  the  last  time,  yon 
enter  a beautiful  valley,  with  its  scenery  continually 
changing,  owing  to  the  windings  of  the  road.  Some 
very  inconvenient  ascents  and  descents  have  to  be 
made,  sorely  trying  to  an  inexperienced  horseman. 
But  the  beauty  of  the  landscape  around  La  Ceyba  in- 
demnifies for  this  inconvenience.*  Forests  of  plantain 
and  coffee  trees,  on  dry  ground,  greet  you  with  a 
friendly  smile ; you  behold  at  least  some  human  hab- 
itations and  huma*  activity  again  ; you  find  sugar  mills 
and  rum  distilleries  in  operation  ; beautiful  verdure 
surrounds  you  on  all  sides  ; the  atmosphere  is  fresher 
and  purer,  and  the  road  under  your  feet  is  a festive 
walk  in  comparison  with  what  you  have  left  behind. 

When  you  hear  names  like  “ La  Ceyba,”  “ Las 
Penas,”  “ Jorje,”  “ Pizcurcu,”  44  El  Excomulgado,” 
and  others  with  which  you  will  become  familiar  in  the 
course  of  these  pages,  you  must  not  suppose  that  they 
belong  to  any  town  or  village.  In  Ecuador  every  lonely 
house,  every  characteristic  feature  of  the  road,  every 


38  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


hacienda , and  sometimes  even  a solitary  tree,  rock,  or 
ravine,  has  its  name.  The  same  mountain  or  river 
lias  different  names  at  different  places.  The  44  Pas- 
tassa,”  for  instance,  a river  which  takes  its  rise  near 
Mt.  Cotopaxi,  is  first  named  44  Callo,”  a little  further 
down  44  Pumacunchi,”  afterwards  44  Cutuchi,”  still 
further  down  44  Pillaro,”  then  44  Patate,”  then  44  Ba- 
nos,” and  at  last  44  Pastassa.”  1 It  will  be  necessary 
to  bear  this  strange  custom  in  mind,  in  order  to  pre- 
vent misconception  or  confusion. 

After  continuing  our  ascent,  interrupted  by  frequent 
declivities,  for  a few  leagues  more,  the  tambo  of  Jorje  is 
reached,  which,  according  to  Dr.  Jameson’s  measure- 
ment, is  three  thousand  and  twenty  feet  above  the  level 
of  the  sea,  and  commands  a delightful  view  of  the  valley 
below.  It  lies  at  the  foot  of  the  great  Cuesta  de  Angas 
(an  uninterrupted  ascent  to  the  summit  of  the  first 
range  of  the  Cordillera),  and  being  out  of  the  swamp 
region  and  surrounded  bv  gigantic  mountains,  its  climate 
is  very  agreeable,  and  I have  no  doubt  healthy.  The 
tambo  is  a spacious  building,  differing  from  the  rest  of 
the  houses  in  this  part  of  the  country,  by  having  a 
staircase,  a floor  of  boards,  some  furniture,  and  by  be- 
ing sheltered  on  three  sides  — which  must  be  consid- 
ered a great  improvement. 

The  steep  ascent  from  Jorje  to  Camino  Real  is, 
when  it  rains,  one  of  the  worst  break-neck  paths  in  the 
world.  With  the  exception  of  Chimborazo,  it  is  the 
steepest  and  highest  ascent  on  the  whole  road,  and  to 
scale  it,  when  converted  by  rain  into  soft  and  slippery 
soap,  may  be  a task  of  life  and  death. 

There  are  mules  in  this  part  of  the  country  which 
are  trained  to  slide  down  slippery  declivities.  Such  ani- 

1 Villavicencio’s  Gcograjia  de  la  Hepublica  del  Ecuador , p.  81. 


EMERGING  FROM  THE  TROPICS. 


89 


mals  are  held  in  great  estimation,  and  command  good 
prices.  They  are  sensible  of  the  caution  required  in 
these  descents,  for,  coming  to  the  top  of  an  eminence, 
they  stop,  and  having  placed  their  fore  legs  in  a slant- 
ing position,  they  put  their  hind  legs  together,  drawing 
them  a little  forward,  as  if  going  to  lie  down.  In  this 
attitude,  having,  as  it  were,  taken  a survey  of  the  road, 
they  slide  down  with  startling  velocity.  Their  dexter- 
ity in  following  the  various  windings  of  the  road  is 
really  astonishing,  for  by  a gentle  inclination  of  the 
body  they  turn  first  to  one  side  and  then  to  another, 
keeping  the  most  perfect  equilibrium,  which  is  the  only 
means  of  saving  themselves  and  their  riders  from  being 
hurled  headlong  forward,  or  being  dashed  to  pieces  by 
a fall.  All  the  rider  has  to  do  is  to  keep  himself  fast 
in  the  saddle  without  checking  his  beast.  Any  un- 
guarded motion  on  his  part,  by  disordering  the  equili- 
brium of  the  mule,  might  lead  to  fatal  consequences.1 

When  the  road  is  dry,  the  ascent  from  Jorje  to  Ca- 
mino  Real  may  be  effected  in  two  or  three  hours.  We 
are  now  emerging  from  the  tropics.  The  fresh  moun- 
tain air,  and  the  piercing  cold  mists  peculiar  to  those 
elevations,  announce  the  change  of  climate.  The 
plantain,  orange,  and  aguacate  trees  remain  behind  us. 
We  have  escaped  from  the  fevers,  dysenteries,  snakes, 
and  mosquitoes  of  the  lowlands.  As  by  a magician’s 
Wand,  we  are  transferred  from  a region  of  sickening  and 
enervating  heat  into  realms  of  delightful  coolness  and 
salubrity.  Beautiful  are  the  towering  mountains 
around  us,  and  beautiful  is  the  scenery  at  our  feet  if 
clouds  do  not  hide  it  from  our  view.  But  generally 
these  clouds  cover  the  entire  country  from  which  we 

1 I.  UUoa,  202,  English  translation,  fourth  edition.  Also  II.  Stephenson, 

260, 


40  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


have  emerged,  and  form  an  ocean  beneath  us  so  wide, 
so  natural,  so  real,  that  ships  only  are  wanted  to  com- 
plete the  illusion.  No  painter  could  reproduce  the 
wonderful  hues- of  this  aerial  sea,  when  lit  up  by  the 
rays  of  the  rising  or  the  setting  sun. 

Camino  Real,  seven  thousand  eight  hundred  and  fifty- 
two  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea  (Jameson),  is  a 
squalid,  miserable  village,  consisting  of  a few  low  and 
dirty  huts  of  reeds,  plastered  up  with  mud,  no  longer 
resting  on  piles,  but  stuck  into  the  ground,  and  con- 
taining but  one  dark  unfloored  and  unfurnished  filthy 
room,  out  of  the  door  of  which  (for  windows  there  are 
none)  the  smoke  lazily  makes  its  way  into  the  face 
and  eyes  of  the  approaching  traveller. 

Here  it  was  that  I first  saw  women  eat  lice.  It  was 
a loathsome  sight  to  behold  those  unwashed  and  un- 
kempt  creatures  pick  the  disgusting  vermin  from  each 
other’s  heads,  and  put  them  into  their  mouths,  where 
they  crushed  them  between  their  teeth.1 

At  Camino  Real  it  becomes  necessary  to  give  a short 
rest  to  the  horses,  tired  by  the  long  and  steep  ascent, 
and  to  treat  them  to  a repast  of  lucerne,  which,  after 
the  southern  gamalote , they  attack  with  great  greedi- 

1 The  loathsome  practice  of  eating  lice,  or  crushing  them  between  the 
teeth,  was  originally  an  Indian  custom.  The  ancient  Indians  seem  to  have 
transmitted  it  to  the  mixed  races  and  to  the  white  rabble.  According  to 
Herrera,  the  royal  historian,  who  had  access  to  all  the  original  documents, 
reports,  and  descriptions  of  the  conquerors,  the  Indians  ate  them,  not  because 
they  liked  their  taste,  but  because,  having  one  hand  engaged  in  parting 
and  examining  the  hair,  which  is  always  very  long  and  thick,  the  other 
could  not  dispose  of  the  vermin  in  a more  effective  way.  The  same  author 
says  that  one  of  the  Inca  rulers  of  Peru  had  ordered  the  poor  tribes  of  Pasto, 
who  had  nothing  else  to  give,  to  pay  their  tribute  in  lice,  not  because  be 
wanted  them,  but  to  make  them  acknowledge  their  vassalage.  The  Pasto 
Indians,  however,  objected  to  this  mode  of  discharging  their  tribute,  because 
eating  lice  was  then  considered  an  infallible  remedy  against  sore  eyes,  and 
was  recommended  as  such  by  the  Indian  doctresses  ( curnnderas ).  — Her- 
rera, dec.  v.  bk.  4,  ch.  2. 


GAMING  REAL. 


41 


ness.  The  potato,  which  here  takes  the  place  of  the 
plantain,  welcomes  us  as  a home-like  sight.  We  are 
again  in  a congenial  climate.  The  inhabitants  of  the 
village  are  not  pure  Indians,  but  half-breeds,  who 
share  with  the  Indians  their  ugly  faces  but  beautiful 
teeth  and  small  feet.  Civilized  travellers  who  have  to 
pass  a night  here  cannot  , sleep  inside  the  huts,  which 
are  too  filthy  and  full  of  fleas.  They  sleep  outside, 
under  the  protruding  roofs,  which  protect  them  from 
the  rain  and  the  dew.  A bed  may  be  made  on  wooden 
platforms  on  which  yerba  is  piled  up  during  the  day  ; 
and  the  traveller  may  congratulate  himself  if  he  can 
pass  the  night  without  being  much  troubled  by  chick- 
ens, dogs,  cats,  or  hogs.  The  nights  here  are  very 
cold. 

Opposite  the  hut  where  I used  to -stop  on  my  jour- 
neys to  or  from  Quito,  two  small  niches  communicat- 
ing with  each  other  were  dug  in  the  hill-side  on  the 
road,  in  one  of  which  a skull  ( calavera ) was  placed. 
In  the  other  candles  burned  occasionally,  and  flowers 
were  often  laid  before  the  skull.  As  I had  observed 
this  custom  frequently,  I asked  my  landlady  for  an  ex- 
planation. She  told  me  that  a soldier  had  been  slain 
and  buried  near  the  village,  in  the  civil  war  of  1860, 
but  the  dogs  dug  up  the  body  and  scattered  the  bones. 
Some  pious  person  then  picked  up  the  skull,  and  placed 
it  in  the  niche  where  I saw  it.  Ever  since  that  time, 
my  landlady  informed  me,  it  had  been  working  mira- 
cles, and  was  held  in  great  esteem. 

Shortly  after  passing  Camino  Real,  the  descent  to 
the  valley  of  La  Chima  begins  — a romantic  and  se- 
cluded spot,  from  which  a steep,  zigzag  ascent  of  about 
half  an  hour,  leads  us  to  the  summit  of  Pizcurcu. 
And  now  a most  unexpected  and  most  enchanting 


42 


FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


prospect  breaks  suddenly  upon  our  view.  The  valley 
of  Chimbo  is  at  last  before  us,  and  we  behold  a north- 
ern home  again.  We  behold  another  vegetation, 
another  land,  another  world,  differing  even  in  the 
slightest  details  from  the  scenes  we  left  but  a few 
hours  ago.  Fertile  and  cultivated  fields  expand  be- 
fore us,  covering  hills  and  plains  and  mountain  slopes 
with  wheat  instead  of  the  sugar-cane  ; potatoes  in- 
stead of  plantains ; barley  instead  of  cacao  and 
aguacates ; turnips  instead  of  oranges  and  alligator 
pears.  Villages  with  houses  of  stone  or  adobes,  many 
of  them  neatly  whitewashed,  have  taken  the  place  of 
41  le  savage  sheds  of  the  low  country.  Long  fences 
of  aloe  divide  the  fields.  Indian  huts  of  e&rth-walls, 
thatched  with  gray  straw  instead  of  the  vijao  leaf,  are 
distributed  all  over  the  valley  and  hill-sides.  Healthy, 
ruddv  faces  meet  ns  on  our  road,  instead  of  the  pale 
and  sickly  countenances  which  frightened  us  in  the 
lowlands.  It  is  only  the  active  bustle  of  progressive 
life  and  civilization,  the  merry  smoke-stacks  and  cheer- 
ful modern  buildings  that  are  wanting,  to  make  us  feel 
as  if  at  home  again,  and  to  lessen  the  awe  inspired  by 
the  presence  of  grim  Chimborazo,  whose  hoary  dome 
towers  high  above  the  green  landscape,  and  forms  an 
imposing  background  to  the  charming,  yet  melancholy 
and  lifeless  scene. 

We  have  now  entered  one  of  those  forgotten  cor- 
ners  of  the  Avorld  which,  barricaded  against  the  march 
of  civilization  by  almost  impassable  mountains,  and  in- 
habited by  a thriftless  and  indifferent  race,  could  not 
keep  pace  with  the  progress  of  mankind.  We  are 
transported  into  regions  which  still  belong  to  the  past, 
and  whose  lifeless  quietude  strangely  contrasts  with 
the  enterprise  and  progress  of  the  present  age.  Let  us 


DESCENT  INTO  THE  VALLEY. 


43 


not  be  deceived  by  the  beautiful  view  which  we  enjoy 
from  the  summit  of  Pizcurcu.  The  climate,  it  is  true, 
is  delightful,  and  all  we  behold  is  fertility,  but  we  must 
not  expect  comfort  and  pleasant  repose  in  the  villages 
at  our  feet.  Most  of  the  houses,  although  they  look 
friendly  amidst  the  green  clover-fields  and  trees,  are 
miserable  hovels  without  windows,  and  full  of  dirt, 
dust,  and  vermin.  The  villages,  which  appear  to  be  at 
a mere  stone’s-throw  from  each  other,  are  separated 
by  roads  which  one  day’s  rain  renders  impassable. 
Nature  seems  to  hold  her  horn  of  plenty  over  the 
country  before  us,  and  yet  we  shall  see  but  ragged 
poverty  and  lazy  indolence  below.  Herds  of  cattle 
are  grazing  on  the  mountains,  and  still  it  will  be  diffi- 
cult  to  procure  a drop  of  milk.  Grain  of  all  kinds 
grows  in  abundance,  and  yet  there  will  be  no  bread. 
The  village  of  Tumbucu,  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain 
on  which  we  stand,  slumbers  in  the  repose  of  blessed 
peace,  and  yet  it  was  the  scene  of  slaughter  and  civil 
war  but  a few  years  ago.1  Everywhere  around  us,  we 
shall  see  bountiful  nature,  derided  and  counteracted  by 
the  inertness  and  perversity  of  man. 

But  let  us  tear  ourselves  from  the  charming  view, 
and  descend  into  the  valley.  The  descent  from  Piz- 
* eurcu  to  Tumbucu  is  very  steep  and  precipitous.  I 
remember  to  have  made  it  once  during  a heavy  rain. 
My  horse  slipped  and  stumbled  in  such  an  alarming 
manner  that  I deemed  it  prudent  to  dismount.  My 
servant  had  done  so  before  me,  and  I followed  his  ex- 
ample with  great  difficulty,  as  it  was  impossible  for  the 
horse  to  steady  himself  on  the  slippery  declivity.  We 
left  the  beasts  to  slide  down  in  their  own  way,  and 
endeavored  to  walk,  but  it  was  impossible.  At  every 
1 Battle  of  Tumbucu,  in  1860. 


44  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH- AMERICANS. 


step  we  fell,  and  only  by  throwing  ourselves  on  our 
backs  we  escaped  a headlong  fall  down  the  hill.  Our 
india-rubber  ponchos  proved  a great  impediment,  and 
yet  we  could  not  do  without  them,  as  the  rain  came 
down  in  torrents.  Our  horses  passed  their  time  be- 
tween falling  and  scrambling  up  again,  and  at  last  slid 
down  with  such  frightful  rapidity  that  for  a while  we 
lost  sight  of  them.  In  the  mean  time  our  own  advance 
continually  grew  slower  and  more  difficult.  AVe  were 
thoroughly  steeped  in  mud,  and  crawled  along  on 
hands  and  feet  till  a deep  hole  or  series  of  camellones 
compelled  us  to  attempt  a daring  stride.  At  last  my 
servant  devised  an  expedient.  Cautiousl}’  he  crawled 
to  the  lull-side,  and  with  his  finger-nails  dug  out  dry 
earth  and  threw  it  on  the  road  before  him.  Over  this 
improvised  path  we  crept  with  tolerable  safety,  until 
we  had  passed  the  steepest  places  and  regained  our 
horses,  which  were  covered  all  over  with  mud. 

Passing  through  the  small  village  of  Tumbucu,  and 
taking  the  road  to  Guaranda,  we  leave  to  our  left  the 
villages  of  San  Jos6,  San  Miguel,  and  Santiago  de 
Chiinbo,  the  inhabitants  of  which  pass  their  lives  in 
happy  ignorance  of  the  outer  world  and  its  great 
events  and  men.  Books  and  newspapers  are  unknown, 
even  among  the  whites  who  can  read  and  write.  They  * 
pass  the  day  in  stolid  indolence,  standing  listlessly  on 
the  Plaza , or  in  front  of  some  public  office,  staring 
vacantly  into  space,  or  gossiping.  Only  a cock-fight, 
oiyihe  sight  of  a good  horse,  can  rouse  them  from  their 
'apathy.  They  seem  to  have  no  purpose  in  life  but  to 
keep  themselves  warm  under  their  heavy  red  ponchos, 
and  to  eat  when  they  are  hungry. 

In  this  connection  I must  mention  a curious  inci- 
dent. On  my  first  journey  to  Quito,  I stopped  for  the 


POLITENESS  OF  THE  JEFE  POLITICO. 


45 


night  at  the  village  of  San  Jose  de  Chimbo.  The  mil- 
itary official  who  accompanied  me,  and  the  government 
passports  and  recommendations  which  he  displayed, 
immediately  brought  out  the  Jefe  Politico , or  mayor, 
who  overflowed  with  the  usual  Spanish- American  as- 
surances of  consideration  and  offers  of  services.  There 
was  no  end  to  the  strain  of  his  politeness.  He  lodged  us 
in  the  school-house,  which  contained  the  only  room  in 
the  village  fit  for  the  reception  of  strangers.  A Quito 
merchant,  who  travelled  in  my  company,  requested  him 
to  have  supper  prepared.  He  consented  to  find  a cook, 
and  to  give  her  the  necessary  instructions.  He  after- 
wards informed  us  that  he  had  given  her  $1.50,  which 
we  paid  him.  Next  morning  the  cook  came  in  and  in- 
quired whether  we  wanted  breakfast.  My  companion, 
the  merchant,  ordered  her  to  prepare  it,  but  to  do  it  well, 
as  she  would  not  have  many  other  chances  to  charge 
$1.50  for  a meal.  It  then  turned  out  that  the  mayor 
had  given  her  only  one  dollar  putting  the  additional 
fifty  cents  in  his  own  pocket.  After  breakfast  I asked 
him  how  much  we  had  to  pay  for  it,  offering  him  the 
money.  He  protested  that  he  would  take  no  money 
from  me  (forgetting  probably  that  he  had  done  so  the 
day  before)  ; that  he  was  sufficiently  paid  by  the  honor 
of  extending  to  such  a distinguished  gentleman  the 
hospitalities  of  his  humble  village ; that  I would  offend 
him  by  insisting  that  he  should  receive  money,  etc. 
At  this  juncture  my  travelling  companion  came  in  and 
asked  what  the  matter  was.  I told  him  that  the  mayor 
would  take  no  money  for  the  breakfast.  “ Quite  nat- 
ural,” he  replied,  u because  I have  just  paid  him  for 
it.”  Any  body  else  in  the  place  of  the  Jefe  Politico 
would  have  been  shamed  to  death,  but  he  did  not 
show  the  slightest  embarrassment,  and  with  perfect 


46  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


nonchalance,  and  the  sweetest  possible  smile,  turned 
the  conversation  to  another  subject. 

Before  reaching  Guaranda,  a so-called  socabon  has 
to  be  passed.  A socabon  is  a very  ingenious  contrivance 
to  avoid  the  passage  of  rivers.  The  Spaniards  have 
learned  it  from  its  Indian  inventors.  When  a river  is 
too  deep  or  rapid  to  be  forded  conveniently,  a bend 
is  selected  where  the  mountainous  bank  protrudes  far 
into  the  stream.  There  the  mountain  slope  is  perfo- 
rated, and  a tunnel  made,  through  which  the  water 
rushes,  forming  a new  bed  and  leaving  the  old  bed 
Either  dry  or  easily  fordable.  Such  a tunnel  is  called 
a “socabon,”  and  many  of  them  are  to  be  met  with 
in  the  interior  of  Ecuador.  The  socabon  at  Guaranda, 
enlarged  by  the  force  of  the  waters  in  the  rainy  season, 
forms  a natural  arch  left  hano-ino;  in  the  air,  while  its 
foundations  are  washed  away.  A strong  earthquake 
will  throw  it  down. 

On  the  table-lands  which  we  have  now  reached, 
llamas  are  occasionally  met  with.  These  intelligent 
animals,  with  their  inquisitive  eyes  and  graceful  necks, 
are  very  interesting.  Their  number  has  been  reduced 
to  insignificance  by  the  wantonness  of  the  Spanish 
'conquerors,  who  killed  whole  herds  of  them  because 
they  considered  the  heart  and  liver  of  the  animal  a 
great  delicacy.  In  Peru  and  Bolivia  llamas  are  still 
abundant,  but  in  Ecuador  they  are  nearly  extinguished, 
and  no  care  is  taken  to  propagate  the  race.  The  few 
specimens  I saw  were  used  to  carry  burdens.  They 
are  very  tame,  and  take  a lively  interest  in  what  is 
going  on  around  them.  The  female  is  ripe  for  copula- 
tion at  the  age  of  two  years.  Her  pregnancy  lasts  ten 
months ; but  she  seldom  brings  forth  more  than  one 
young.  They  need  a temperate  or  cold  climate,  and 


GUARANDA. 


47 


sometimes  are  found  in  a wild  state  on  the  high  para- 
mos of  Chimborazo.  When  taken  to  the  hot  lowlands 
they  soon  die.1 

Guaranda,  nine  thousand  and  sixty  feet  high,  is  a 
poor  little  town  at  the  foot  of  Chimborazo.  Villavicen- 
cio  gives  its  population  at  eight  thousand,  which  I be- 
lieve is  exaggerated.  The  houses,  as  throughout  the 
interior,  are  built  of  sun-baked  bricks  (adobes),  or 
have  common  earth- walls.  The  roofs  are  covered  with 
red  tiles,  like  those  of  almost  all  Spanish-American 
towns.  On  the  Plaza  there  are  several  buildings  with 
an  upper  story,  but  generally  the  houses  have  only  a 
ground-floor.  One  of  the  two  churches  is  half  in 
ruins.  Most  of  the  buildings  present  a dilapidated  ap- 
pearance, grass  and  weeds  covering  the  walls  of  court- 
yards and  inclosures.  The  stores,  with  one  or  two 
exceptions,  evidence  the  poverty  and  parsimony  of  the 
inhabitants  of  the  interior,  with  whom  we  shall  soon 
become  acquainted.  The  place  is  rather  cold,  and 
very  windy,  especially  during  the  dry  season,  owing  to 
the  near  neighborhood  of  that  JEolus,  — Chimborazo. 
There  are  two  taverns  at  Guaranda,  which  also  serve 
as  houses  of  consignment  for  goods  sent  to  or  from  the 
interior.  After  having  passed  two  nights  (an  ordinary 
journey  from  Bodegas  to  Guaranda  takes  two  and  a half 
days)  in  miserable  open  sheds  exposed  to  the  night 
air,  it  is  a relief  to  enjoy  the  luxury  of  a covered  room, 
chairs,  and  bedsteads  again  ; but  the  rooms  of  these 
taverns  are  sadly  neglected,  full  of  cobwebs  and  fleas  ; 
the  furniture  is  covered  with  thick  layers  of  dust ; 
most  of  the  window-glasses  are  broken,  and  filth  is  ac- 

1 I have  taken  these  statements  from  a Notice  sur  le  Lama , par  S. 
Wisse.  Tnstilul  de  France.  Academie  des  Science.  Extrait  des  Comp- 
tes  rendus  des  Seances  de  V Academie,  tome  xxix,  seance  du  20  Aout,  1849. 


48  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


cumulated  in  the  corners  and  on  the  floor.  The  ser- 
vants are  dirty  and  slovenly ; and  were  it  not  for  the 
recollection  of  past  hardships  the  traveller  would  feel 
cheerless  and  uncomfortable. 

In  the  neighborhood  of  Guaranda  are  salt  works, 
where  the  salt  of  Tomabela  is  produced. 

At  Guaranda  fresh  beasts  must  be  taken  for  Quito, 
as  the  animals  which  arrive  tired  from  Bodegas  would 
not  be  able  to  stand  the  passage  of  Chimborazo. 
Many  arrieros  live  in  the  neighborhood,  and  the  same 
trouble  about  hiring  horses  which  vexed  us  at  Bodegas, 
has  now  to  be  gone  through  with  again.  Warm  pon- 
chns  and  clothing  have  now  to  be  prepared  for  the  pas- 
sage of  Chimborazo,  and  it  is  advisable  to  start  early, 
before  daybreak,  to  avoid  the  storms  on  the  mountain, 
which  are  said  to  increase  in  violence  as  the  day  ad- 
vances. Toward  noon  they  are  said  to  be  irresistible, 
and  to  have  hurled  many  a horse  and  rider  into  the 
yawning  precipices,  along  the  road.  I once  passed 
Chimborazo  during  so  fearful  a hurricane  (on  the  4th 
of  July,  1862),  that  I was  almost  blinded  by  sand  and 
gravel,  which  were  continually  blown  in  my  face.  At 
some  high  and  precipitous  turning-points  in  the  road, 
where  the  rocky  path  between  the  mountains  on  one 
side  and  the  abyss  on  the  other  was  hardly  two  feet 
wide,  the  fury  of  the  wind  was  such  that  the  horses 
could  not  or  would,  not  advance,  until  a momentary 
calm  enabled  them  ‘to  pass  the  dangerous  places. 
These  calms,  however,  are  of  but  very  short  duration. 
It  happens  frequently  that  persons  are  thrown  from 
their  horses  by  the  wind,  or  that  their  clothes  and  pon- 
chos are  torn  to  pieces.  July,  August,  and  September 
are  the  windiest  months  of  the  year.  On  the  occasion 
just  referred  to,  one  of  the  mail-carrier’s  beasts  had 


STORMS  ON  CHIMBORAZO. 


49 


been  thrown  into  a ravine  a few  days  before  my  arri- 
val. The  animal  perished,  but  its  load  was  recov- 
ered. 

After  these  preliminary  remarks,  I must  invite  my 
readers  to  accompany  me  on  the  exciting  expedition. 


4 


CHAPTER  IY. 


Passage  of  Mt.  Chimborazo.  — A Visit  to  the  Region  of  Clouds  and 
Storms.  — View  of  the  Mountain.  — The  Arenal.  — Human  Reminis- 
cences and  Monuments  in  the  Desert  of  Sand  and  Snow.  — What  a 
Paramo  is.  — Its  Terrors.  — Chuquipoyo. — The  Hacienda  of  Chimbo- 
razo.— A Dreary  Resting-plape.  — View  from  Chuquipoyo.  — The  City 
of  Riobamba  in  the  Distance.  — Earthquakes  and  Volcanoes. — Mt. 
Sangai.  — Rains  of  Ashes.  — Mt.  Altar.  — Mt.  Carguairazo.  — The 
Paramo  of  Sanancajas.  — Descent  from  the  Mountain  Heath. — Reap- 
pearance of  Vegetation.  — The  Village  of  Mocha. 

After  passing  the  river  of  Guaranda,  over  which, 
in  1863,  a bridge  was  built,  our  ascent  begins.  At 
first,  fields  of  clover,  wheat,  and  barley,  extend  around 
us,  but  they  soon  give  way  to  that  wild  and  romantic 
vegetation  which  precedes  and  pleasantly  contrasts 
with  the  dreary  grasses  of  the  highest  and  coldest 
region . Alpine  flowers  and  shrubs  exhale  aromatic 
perfumes,  and  legions  of  birds  welcome  the  rising  sun, 
which  richly  gilds  the  highest  peaks  of  the  mountains. 
The  road  — if  road  it  can  be  called  — now  winds  itself 
along  precipices  which  the  eye  shuns  to  fathom,  now 
passes  through  lanes,  or  rather  gulleys,  frequently  so 
narrow  that  it  would  be  impossible  for  two  horses  to 
pass  each  other.  It  is  here  called  the  “ pongo”  a name 
of  dreadful  notoriety  in  the  rainy  season,  and  consists, 
like  most  of  the  mountain  and  paramo  roads  of  Ecua- 
dor, of  innumerable  ruts,  continually  crossing  and  in- 
tersecting one  another  in  a most  bewildering  manner. 

The  ascent  seems  endless.  One  terrace  or  moun- 
tain platform  is  hardly  reached  when  we  discover 


MOUNT  CHIMBOKAZO. 


n 


other  and  higher  ones  before  us.  Vegetation  gradually 
diminishes  ; crags  begin  to  close  upon  our  narrow  path, 
and  over  sharp-pointed  rocks  stumble  for  a while  the 
panting  animals.  At  last,  doubling  the  mountain  am- 
phitheatre which  we  have  slowly  ascended  to  almost 
its  highest  point,  we  lose  sight  of  the  valley  of  Gua- 
randa  and  its  smiling  fertility,  to  find  ourselves  in  a 
wilderness  of  dreary  mountains,  valleys,  and  precipices 
covered  with  the  long  and  cheerless  paramo-grass, 
which  for  many  a weary  hour  will  be  our  monotonous 
companion.  But  the  turn  of  the  road  has  brought  us 
face  to  face  with  Chimborazo,  whose  strange  name  and 
enormous  height  filled  us  with  awe  when  we  first  read 
of  it  in  school  histories  and  geographies.  Perhaps 
only  a few  of  the  many  strange  and  difficult  names 
which  we  then  learned,  have  remained  fresh  in  our 
memory ; but  among  those  few,  Chimborazo  always 
held  an  important  place.  And  now  it  breaks  upon  our 
gaze  in  its  majestic  reality  and  overwhelming  grandeur. 
Of  many  of  the  wonders  of  nature  or  art,  our  expecta- 
tions are  wrought  to  such  a pitch  that  reality  will  often 
be  fraught  with  disappointment.  Thus  Rousseau  con- 
fesses to  have  felt  disappointed  when  he  first  saw  the 
sea,  and  many  other  similar  instances  could  be  ad- 
duced. But  I do  not  believe  that  any  body  will  be 
disappointed  in  the  view  of  Chimborazo,  not  as  it  is 
seen  at  a distance  from  the  sea,  from  Guayaquil  or  the 
heights  of  Camino  Real,  but  as  it  will  break  upon  him 
in  the  region  of  the  storms  and  clouds,  and  in  the  fear- 
ful solemnity  of  Nature’s  solitude. 

Fiercer  and  fiercer  grows  the  wind  as  we  advance  ; 
gust  after  gust  comes  down  from  the  throne  of  the  king 
of  the  Ecuadorian  mountains  ; clouds  form  and  dis- 
solve around  its  snowy  dome,  or  fleet  by  it  in  wild  pre- 


52  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


cipitation  ; carcasses  of  dead  mules  or  donkeys  block  up 
many  of  the  narrow  passages  of  the  road ; barefooted 
and  shivering:  arrieros,  with  their  heads  and  necks 
bundled  up  with  ponchos  or  shawls,  hurry  past  us, 
urging  and  cursing  their  jaded  animals  ; from  time  to 
time  icy  mists  will  hover  around  us,  wetting  our  hair 
and  ponchos,  and  hiding  the  gloomy  landscape  from 
our  view  ; and  the  piercing  cold,  which  many  a day 
freezes  the  water  in  these  altitudes,  mockingly  brings 
to  our  recollection  the  tropical  scenes  which  we  left 
but  a day  or  two  ago. 

Lonely  crosses  on  the  roadside,  or  skulls  in  niches 
dug  into  the  mountain,  will  now  be  met  with,  unfold- 
ing eloquent  tales,  in  their  ghastly  silence,  of  poor 
travellers  whose  last  journey  was  brought  to  an  unfore- 
seen end  far  away  from  the  abodes  of  man. 

At  last  we  reach  the  Tambo  de  la  Ensillada  (saddle- 
back), so  called  from  being  built  on  a saddle-like  ter- 
race of  a mountain,  projecting  from  the  left  of  our 
road.  It  is  a poor,  dreary,  wretched  place,  consisting 
of  a few  low  huts  of  straw,  the  roofs  of  which  rest  on 
the  ground.  The  inside  of  these  hovels  is  without 
flooring  ; the  ground  is  wet  and  muddy,  notwithstand- 
ing the  poor  roof  which  covers  it,  and  the  inmates  are 
filthy  and  besotted.  These  huts  are  without  furniture, 
and  almost  always  filled  with  smoke.  The  open  space 
before  them  is  a deep  and  muddy  pool,  worn  by  the 
hoofs  of  mules  and  horses.  At  this  place  a short  rest 
is  taken,  and  hot  water  procured  to  make  coffee  01 
tea. 

Nearer  and  nearer  we  now  draw  to  the  grim  moun- 
tain. The  inequalities  in  the  road  again  increase  so 
that  it  will  be  a difficult  task  for  an  unskillful  horseman 
to  keep  himself  firm  in  the  saddle.  Our  ascent  is 


the  Ascent. 


53 


sometimes  interrupted  by  almost  perpendicular  decliv- 
ities, where  the  road  is  hardly  two  feet  wide,  with 
a steep,  rocky  wall  on  one  side  and  a yawning  preci- 
pice on  the  other.  Apprehensive  of  an  increase  of 
the  storm,  we  ask  the  arrieros  whom  we  meet,  “ Como 
estd  el  cerro  ? ” (“  How  is  the  mountain  ? ”)  and  their 
shivering  reply,  “ Savor oso  ” (“  Savory  ”),  tells  us  that 
worse  is  to  follow.  The  clouds  which  play  around  the 
mountain  now  cover  its  upper,  now  its  lower  parts  ; 
now  they  hide  it  completely,  now  they  allow  us  a full 
view  of  its  gigantic  dimensions,  which  seem  to  expand 
as  we  approach.  A group  of  solitary  trees  ( Poly - 
lepis ) 1 in  a wilderness  of  rocks,  seems  to  form  a land- 
mark of  vegetation,  which  is  about  to  disappear  around 
us.  The  horses,  tired  by  the  long  and  steep  ascent 
and  the  wind,  require  the  strong  stimulus  of  our  spurs. 
The  fury  of  the  winds  increases.  Our  hats  have  to 
be  tied  to  our  heads  with  handkerchiefs  or  strings. 
The  roaring  of  the  storm  often  becomes  deafening. 

But  fortunately  we  are.  already  at  the  foot  of  the 
arenal  (the  sandy  region),  which  is  the  highest  point 
of  the  road.  Another  stee£  ascent  has  to  be  made, 
exceedingly  tiresome  for  the  horses,  which  move  with 
great  difficulty  through  the  deep  sand,  strewn  with  the 
bones  and  skeletons  of  beasts  of  burden.  Reaching 

1 “I  am  inclined  to  believe  that  this  tree  ( Polylepis ) reaches  the  greatest 
elevation  of  any  tree  on  the  globe.  It  occurs  on  the  western  descent  of 
Chimborazo  at  a short  distance  below  the  arenal  (14,268  feet),  constituting  a 
well-defined  zone  characterized  by  the  absence  of  any  other  trees.  The 
trunk,  nearly  destitute  of  bark,  is  gnarled  and  twisted  in  the  most  fanciful 
manner,  and  the  root  penetrates  deeply  the  rocky  crevices,  thus  enabling 
the  tree  to  resist  the  violent  winds  with  which  it  is  assailed.”  [From  Dr. 
Jameson’s  Manuscript  Notes , kindly  placed  at  my  disposal  by  the  learned 
author.].  . . . Mr.  Spruce  says:  “The  bark  of  this  tree  resembles  that  of 
the  birch  in  color,  and  is  peeling  off  in  flakes ; but  if  one  could  suppose  an 
arborescent  Accena , it  would  give  a better  idea  of  the  pinnate,  silvery 
foliage.” 


54 


FOUR  YEARS  AMONG*  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


the  summit,  a sandy  plain  stretches  out  before  us, 
which  is  about  the  best  part  of  the  road  between  Am- 
bato  and  Guaranda  — wide,  smooth,  and  dry.  This  is 
the  Arenal , 14,268  feet 1 above  the  level  of  the  sea.  It 
has  two  divisions  — El  Arenal  Grande  and  El  Arena! 
Chiquito , — the  one  being  a continuation  of  the  other.2 
These  plains  are  often  covered  with  sand  so  as  to  hide 
the  track  which  we  must  follow.  Hailstorms,  too,  are 
frequent  in  this  windy  desert. 

To  the  right  of  the  road  we  see  a heap  of  stones, 
which  are  said  to  have  been  piled  up  to  the  memory 
of  an  Englishman  .who  was  murdered  at  that  place  by 
his  arriero.3 

Here,  too,  is  the  dividing  line  of  the  waters ; and 
Ida  Pfeiffer,  following  the  example  of  Baron  von 
Tschndi  on  Pasco  de  Cerro,  “ climbed  down  the  west- 
ern side  of  the  mountain  till  she  came  to  water,  drank 
a little,  and  poured  the  rest  into  a stream  that  fell 
down  on  the  eastern  side,  and  then  reversing  the 

1 Hall. 

2 “ The  Arenal  consists  of  sand  and  fine  gravel  of  a pale  yellow  color. 
In  one  place  the  road,  for  a considerable  distance,  resembles  a broad,  smooth, 
gravel  walk  in  England.  It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  state  that  here  the 
wind  is  always  easterly  through  the  day,  getting  up  strong  generally  about 
10  a.  m.,  and  rarely  continuing  to  blow  with  equal  force  during  the  night 
and  following  morning.  Now  and  then  it  veers  for  a moment,  and  gives 
the  traveller  a side  blow,  which,  were  he  not  wary,  might  unhorse  him.”  — 
Spruce,  Report  of  the  Expeaition , etc.  etc. 

3 “ He  had  undertaken  to  cross  the  Chimborazo  accompanied  only  by  a 
single  arriero.  Perhaps  he  might  have  done  so  in  safety,  had  he  not  had 
the  imprudence,  on  all  occasions  when  there  was  any  thing  to  pay,  to  dis- 
play a purse  well  filled  with  gold.  This  glittering  temptation  the  guide 
could  not  withstand,  and  when  he  found  himself  alone  with  the  unfortunate 
traveller  in  this  solitary  region,  he  struck  him  a fatal  blow  on  the  back  of 
the  head  with  a great  stone  wrapped  in  a cloth,  — a common  method  of 
murder  in  this  country.  He  concealed  the  body  in  the  snow ; but  both 
deed  and  doer  were  discovered  very  soon  by  his  offering  one  of  the  gold 
pieces  to  change.”  — Ida  Pfeiffer,  A Lady's  Second  Voyage  round  the 
Wwld. 


CHIMBORAZO. 


55 


operation,  carried  soine  thence  to  the  western,  amusing 
herself  with  the  thought  of  having  sent  to  the  Atlan- 
tic  some  water  that  was  destined  to  flow  into  the 
Pacific,  and  vice  versa.”  1 A very  childish  amusement, 
which  I should  not  have  mentioned  if  in  this  awful 
desert,  the  silence  of  which  is  broken  only  by  the 
roaring  storm,  and  where  for  leagues  around  no  human 
habitation  can  be  found,  any  thing  done  by,  or  remind- 
ing us  of,  man,  had  not  a cheering  interest  for  the  trav- 
eller oppressed  by  the  weight  of  absolute  loneliness. 

And  now  Chimborazo  is  no  longer  the  background 
of  a distant  view ; it  is  our  only  view  to  the  left  of  the 
road,  from  which  it  is  separated  by  a broad  ravine.2 
From  our  position  near  the  limit  of  perpetual  snow, 
perhaps  less  than  an  hour’s  exertion  would  lead  us  into 
the  snow-drifts  of  the  mountain.  Grand  and  beautiful 

1 Ida  Pfeiffer,  A Lady's  Second  Voyage  round  the  World. 

2 “It  is  not  well  settled  to  how  much  of  the  Cordillera  the  name  ‘Chim- 
borazo ’ should  be  limited.  When  an  Indian  speaks  of  Chimborazo,  Tun- 
guragua,  etc.,  he  means  merely  the  snowy  summit  of  those  mountains, 
the- adjacent  paramoshaving  local  names  according  to  the  streams  which 
traverse  them,  or  the  farms  and  villages  adjacent  to  them.  Proceeding 
from  Chimborazo  southward  we  have  a lofty  ridge,  not  rising  in  any  part 
of  it  to  the  line  of  perpetual  snow,  varied  here  and  there  by  slight  depres- 
sions, but  whose  continuity  is  nowhere  broken  by  any  transversal  valley. 
After  forming  the  western  boundary  of  the  elevated  plain  or  valley  of  Tio- 
cajas,  it  sinks  down  abruptly  from  the  heights  of  San  Nicolas  to  the  Valley 
of  Alausi,  at  the  junction  of  the  Puma-cocha  and  Chauchau.  To  consider 
the  whole  of  this  ridge  as  belonging  to  Chimborazo  would  necessitate  a 
similar  extension  of  its  limits  on  all  sides,  and  we  should  have  to  include 
in  it  the  adjacent  mountain  Carguairazo,  formerly  equally  lofty,  and  separ- 
ated from  it  only  by  a very  narrow  valley,  as  also  the  two  * knots  ’ running 
eastward  across  the  central  valley  to  the  foot  of  the  eastern  Cordillera,  the 
one  from  Sanancajas  and  the  other  from  the  northern  shoulder  of  Chim- 
borazo ( Paramo  de  Puenevala),  both  of  which  knots  include  some  lofty 
peaks.  I would  rather  confine  the  name  of  Chimborazo  to  the  mighty  mass 
\Vhich  rises  abruptly  from  the  plain  of  Sanancajas  on  the  east,  and  reposes 
to  the  north  and  south  on  Puenevata  and  the  Arenal  respectively.  On  the 
western  .side, however,  lean  find  no  positive  break  from  the  summit  down  to 
the  plain.  There  is  no  intervening  salient  peak,  and  no  ridge  whose  origin 
may  not  be  traced  to  the  peak  of  Chimborazo.”  — Spruce,  Report,  etc. 


56  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


is  its  majestic  dome,1  and  dazzling  its  whiteness  when 
the  sun’s  rajs  are  reflected  from  it,  as  it  stands  out 
well  defined  by  the  deep  azure  of  the  sky.  Grim  and 
awful  is  its  appearance  when  the  sky  is  darkened  by 
clouds,  and  ghastly  vapors  are  drifting  over  and  around 
its  giant  peaks. 

Chimborazo  rises  21,422  feet  (Humboldt)  above  the 
level  of  the  sea.  No  human  foot  ever  reached  its 
summit.  The  highest  point  in  the  world  conquered  by 
man,  is  six  thousand  and  four  French  metres.  It  was 
reached  on  Chimborazo  on  the  16th  of  December, 
1831,  by  the  French  naturalist  Boussingault,  and  his 
English  friend  and  companion,  Colonel  Hall.  Hum- 
boldt and  Bompland,  who  attempted  an  ascent  on  the 
23d  of  June,  1802,  reached  only  five  thousand  eight 
hundred  and  seventy-eight  metres.2  The  density  of 
the  fog  compelled  them  to  return.  Difficult  as  respira- 
tion is  in  those  altitudes,  climbing  is  doubly  exhaust- 
ing and  often  becomes  impossible.  The  heart  palpi- 
tates alarmingly  ; a feverish  sensation  sets  in ; blood 
oozes  from  the  lips  or  the  nose,  and  a propensity  to 
vomit  seizes  the  daring  traveller,  as  was  the  case  with 
Humboldt  and  Bompland.  Those,  however,  who  are 
accustomed  to  live,  or  are  born  on  the  high  table-lands 

1 “ The  figure  of  Chimborazo  resembles  a truncated  cone  with  a spher- 
ical summit.  From  the  foot  of  the  snow  its  sides  are  covered  with  a cal- 
cined matter  resembling  white  sand;  and  although  no  tradition  exists  of  its 
active  volcanic  state,  yet  the  issuing  of  some  streams  of  hot  water  from  the 
north  side  of  it,  seems  to  warrant  that  it  is  a volcano,  or  that  it  possesses 
volcanic  properties.”  — Stephenson,  Twenty-Jive  Years'  Residence  in  South 
America. 

“2  Humboldt,  Melanges  de  Geologie  et  de  Physique  Generale , Paris, 
1854.  See  also  Viajes  Cientijicos  a los  Andes  Ecuatoriales , o Coleccion  de 
Meinorias  Presentadas  a la  Academia  de  Cienciasde  F rancia,  por  M.  Bous- 
singault i Dr.  Roulin , traducidas  por  J.  Acosta,  Paris,  1849.  Mr.  Bous- 
singault, in  his  ascents  of  Chimborazo,  Antisana,  and  other  snow-covered 
mountains,  always  found  it  more  difficult  and  exhausting  to  advance  over 
ground  covered  with  snow  than  over  the  bare  rock. 


THE  DESCENT. 


L>  I 

of  the  Ancles,  are  less  liable  to  such  attacks  than 
foreigners.  The  battle  of  Pichincha,  which  was 
fought  on  an  elevation  of  nearly  11,000  feet  above  the 
level  of  the  sea,  the  life  in  cities  like  Bogota,  Potosi, 
La  Paz,  Micuipampa,  and  others,  which  reach  a height 
of  two  thousand  six  hundred  to  four  thousand  French 
metres  ; the  strength  and  agility  of  the  bull-fighters  in 
Quito,  and  the  nights  spent  by  young  people  in  danc- 
ing and  revelry  in  places  almost  as  high  as  Mont 
Blanc,  where  the  celebrated  Saussure  had  scarcely 
strength  enough  to  consult  his  instruments,  while  his 
guides,  hardy  montagnards , fainted  around  him,  are 
unmistakable  proofs  that  man  may  accustom  himself  to 
the  rarefied  air  of  the  highest  mountains. 

After  passing  the  arenal,  which  is  about  half  a 
league  across,  our  descent  commences.  At  a water-fall 
Qchorrera)  not  very  far  from  the  arenal,  the  road 
divides,  one  branch  leading  to  Riobamba,  and  the 
other,  which  we  will  take,  to  Mocha  and  Ambafo.  We 
have  now  fairly  entered  the  region  of  the  paramos. 
Paramos,  properly  speaking,  are  the  highest  plains  or 
heaths  of  the  Cordillera,  covered  with  high  tufts  of 
long  and  dry  grass,  which  the  natives  call  “pay a ” 1 
(straw).  A paramo,  therefore,  is  frequently  called  a 
“ pajonal”  Its  aspect  is  dreary  and  cheerless  in  the 
extreme.  But  paramos  may  also  prove  dangerous  to 

l “ A species  of  Stipa,  with  feather-like,  silvery  panicles,  tinged  with 
rose,  which  forms  the  mass  of  the  vegetation  on  the  paramo.  This  grass 
affords  excellent  thatch.  It  is  also  extensively  used  in  packing,  and  along 
all  the  higher  grounds  it  is  almost  the  only  material  for  fuel.  Between  the 
hassocks,  especially  when  there  are  slight  declivities,  there  is  an  interesting 
sub-alpine  vegetation.  A dense  grassy  turf  is  enameled  with  flowers,  — 
white,  yellow,  red,  and  purple,  which  seem  to  spring  direct  from  the 
ground.”  — Richard  Spruce,  Notes  of  a Visit  to  the  Chinchona  Forests , 
on  the  Western  Slope  of  the  Quitenian  Andes.  I may  add  here  that  the 
paramo  grass  is  very  good  feed  for  cattle,  which  stray  up  into  the  highest 
regions,  wading  up  to  the  knee  in  the  freezing  swamps  and  marshes. 


58  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


travellers.  Winds  laden  with  icy  vapors  blow  over 
them  with  tremendous  violence,  when  as  the  natives 
call  it,  the  paramo  “ se  pone  bravo  ” (gets  wild). 
Dense  fogs  frequently  envelop  man  and  beast ; dark- 
ness covers  the  earth  and  conceals  every  trace  of  the 
road ; snow,  hail,  or  sleet  comes  down  unmercifully ; 
and  often  the  traveller  loses  his  way  and  wanders 
helplessly  over  endless  heaths.  But  this  is  not  the 
worst ; when  worn  out  with  fatigue  and  hunger,  be- 
numbed with  cold  and  unable  to  urge  on  his  jaded 
mules,  he  dismounts  and  sits  down  to  recover  his  ex- 
hausted strength,  his  stomach  soon  becomes  affected  as 
if  at  sea ; his  blood  ceases  to  circulate,  his  muscles 
grow  stiff,  and  he  expires  with  a ghastly  smile  upon  his 
features.  Travellers  thus  found  dead  in  these  inhospi- 
table regions,  are  said  to  be  emparamados. 

Still  the  Paramo  of  Chimborazo  is  not  reputed  to  be 
very  dangerous.  The  fiercest  paramo  in  Ecuador  is 
that  of  Azuay,  on  the  road  from  Riobamba  to  Cuenca.1 

1 “ At  Sitan,  properly  speaking,  begins  the  Paramo  of  Azuavv,  the  tomb 
of  a great  number  of  travellers.  When  the  wind  blows  there,  it  brings 
with  it  such  a quantity  of  hail  and  snow  that  the  air  is  darkened  ; the 
traveller,  up  to  his  knees  in  water,  is  struck  with  cold  5 he  feels  his  limbs 
grow  stiff,  and  often  loses  the  use  of  them,  — if  he  has  the  good  fortune  to 
escape  with  life.  On  the  Azuay  is  a pool  of  about  seventy  varas  in  length 
(one  hundred  and  eighty  feet).  The  water  of  this  pond  is  at  9°  R.  above 
zero.  Further  on  is  another  of  five  or  six  hundred  varas  long  and  from  two 
to  three  hurdred  wide.  Near  these  commences  the  plain  of  Puval,  danger- 
ous on  account  of  the  deep  marshes  there  met  with.  At  the  extremity  of 
the  Puyal  are  the  ruins  of  a palace  of  the  Incas.  It  is  built  of  stone  with- 
out cement.  The  Indians  evinced  a very  singular  taste  in  the  choice  of 
places  where  they  constructed  their  pleasure  houses,  since  during  eight 
months  of  the  year  there  is  continued  hail  and  rain  here.”  — Caldas, 
Semanario  de  la  Nueva  Granada , Paris,  1849.  I do  not  believe  that 
the  ruins  to  which  Caldas  refers  were  those  of  a palace  or  pleasure-house. 
It  is  more  probable  that  the  building  was  a tambo , or  resting-place,  for 
the  accommodation  of  royal  or  noble  travellers.  The  Incas  evinced  more 
prudence  and  humanity  by  erecting  buildings  for  the  use  of  travellers  in 
theauost  inhospitable  parts  of  the  road,  than  their  Spanish  successors, 
who  did  not  think  of  building  even  a common  earth  hut  on  such  horrible 
passes  as  the  Paramo  of  Azuay. 


THE  WILDERNESS. 


59 


The  Paramo  of  the  Puyal,  on  the  direct  road  from 
Riobamba  to  Santiago  de  Cliimbo,  is  also  said  to  be  very 
dangerous.  In  October,  1862,  I passed  it  in  a perfect 
calm.  I was  struck  with  the  great  number  of  condors 
I saw  there. 

But  let  us  continue  our  journey.  Beautiful  and 
romantic  as  the  vegetation  of  Chimborazo  is  on  its 
western  side,  so  dreary  and  melancholy  does  it  present 
itself  on  the  eastern  descent.  The  paramo  grass,  as  I 
have  already  said,  is  our  only  companion,  barren  and 
gloomy  mountains  our  only  view.  Up  one  hill-side  and 
down  another  leads  the  monotonous  road.  Many  a 
dreary  heath  has  to  be  passed,  many  an  icy  rivulet  ha; 
to  be  forded.  No  human  habitation  relieves  the  eye 
as  far  as  the  horizon  extends.  Now  and  then  we  see  a 
cave  or  sheltered  place  under  a protruding  rock,  where 
the  Indian  arrieros,  when  darkness  overtakes  them  on 
their  journeys,  pass  the  night,  shivering  round  a smoky 
fire  of  paramo  grass,  while  their  beasts  are  let  loose  to 
seek  fodder  for  themselves.  But  with  the  exception  of 
the  miserable  ensillada , not  a hut  or  cottage  greets  us 
on  the  long  road  from  the  Pongo  to  Chuquipoyo.  We 
are  alone  in  the  wilderness.  If  but  a ruin,  a mile- 
stone, a guide-post  or  a monument  of  some  kind  were 
to  be  seen  ! “ Even  the  record  of  human  vanity,”  says 
Bayard  Taylor,  “ is  preferable  to  the  absence  of  any 
sign  of  man.”  In  the  loneliest  prairies  of  the  West  we 
are  occasionally  gladdened  by  a sign-post  telling  us  to 
use  “ Howe’s  Cough  Candy,”  or  we  find  “ Ayer’s  Sar- 
saparilla ” painted  on  a decaying  fence-rail ; but  in  this 
dreadful  desert  there  is  nothing  to  remind  us  of  the 
cheer  and  comforts  of  civilization  ; nothing  to  remind 
us  even  of  the  existence  of  man,  except  at  long  in- 
tervals droves  of  mules  and  asses,  followed  by  bare- 


60 


FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH— AMERICANS. 


footed  arrieros,  gliding  along  like  spectral  shadows  of 
the  life  we  left  behind  us. 

At  last  we  reach  the  tambo,  a solitary  house  called 
Chuquipoyo,  and  sometimes  undeservedly  styled  the 
‘ Hacienda  of  Chimborazo.”  And  what  a miserable, 
gloomy,  filthy,  and  cheerless  place  it  is  ! The  Ecua- 
dorian tambos  or  stopping-places  are  all  bad,  but  Chu- 
quipoyo deserves  the  crown  of  wretchedness.  After 
the  hardships  of  the  day,  and  considering  the  eleva- 
tion of  this  tambo  to  be  12,540  feet  above  the  level  of 
the  sea,  one  should  expect  to  find  at  least  a warm  room 
with  a pleasant  chimney  fire  crackling  in  the  grate,  to 
forget  the  fatigues  of  the  journey  and  the  freezing  pa- 
ramo outside.  But  even  to  the  traveller  who  enters 
Chuquipoyo  without  the  least  expectation  of  comfort, 
it  will  prove  a chilling  disappointment.  The  court- 
yard is  a knee-deep  pool,  steaming  with  the  excrements 
of  horses.  No  pavement  leads  through  or  around  the 
yard.  It  is  necessary  to  ride  to  the  very  door  of  the 
principal  room  to  dismount  without  taking  a bath  of 
mud.  The  room  itself  is  a horrid  hole  without  win- 
dows. The  country  architecture  of  Ecuador  despises 
ventilation  and  windows.  Two  old,  dirty,  and  rickety 
bedsteads  on  one  side,  a stone  bench  to  make  beds  on 
on  the  other, # and  an  old  table,  constitute  the  furni- 
ture. The  flooring  of  bricks  is  broken  through  and 
rotting  away ; the  atmosphere  of  the  room  damp  and 
cold  ; the  first  and  last  coat  of  whitewash  it  ever  re- 
ceived besmeared  all  over  with  inscriptions  and  obscene 
drawings,  and  the  plaster  crumbling  down.  Into  this 
room  men  and  women  are  huddled  together  to  undress 
and  sleep  in  each  other’s  presence.  Those  who  find  it 
crowded  have  the  choice  of  a side  room  about  eight  by 
seven  feet,  also  furnished  with  a bedstead,  but  with 


A DREAR V RESTING-PLACE. 


61 


the  wall  broken  through  at  many  places,  through 
which  the  icy  night  air  blows  in  unmercifully.  The 
stench  of  horses  and  arrieros  pervades  the  whole  tam- 
bo.  One  wing  of  the  building  is  half  in  ruins,  leaving 
but  a kitchen  and  the  sleeping  and  store  rooms  of  the 
hiayordomo  (steward).  The  arrieros  and  their  peones 
sleep  in  the  court-yard  in  the  open  air. 

The  cooking  is  done  on  the  ground,  in  the  unhandy, 
pointed  pots  of  the  interior.  The  only  fuel  is  the 
grass  of  the  paramo,  which  makes  it  necessary  for  the 
cook  to  fan  and  blow  the  fire  continually.  The  supply 
of  yerba  for  the  horses  is  always  insufficient.  To 
travellers  a few  eggs  and  potatoes  will  sometimes  be 
sold,  but  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten,  nothing  is  to  be  had, 
either  for  love  or  money.  In  short,  a painter  who  would 
represent  cheerlessness,  ought  to  paint  Chuquipoyo. 
Edgar  A.  Poe’s  “ House  of  Usher,”  or  the  “ Haunted 
House  ” of  Thomas  Hood,  are  heavens  of  comfort  in 
comparison  with  this  detestable  place. 

It  was  originally  built  by  the  government  as  a rest- 
ing-place for  soldiers,  and  now  belongs  to  a wealthy 
citizen  of  Riobamba,  who,  with  little  expense,  might 
not  only  make  it  comfortable,  but  also  profitable  ; for 
who,  in  the  midst  of  the  cold  and  lonely  desert  of 
Chimborazo,  would  not  gladly  pay  for  a warm  and 
cheerful  room  ? But  as  it  is,  it  is  a disgrace  to  its  pro- 
prietor,^ disgrace  and  a reproach  to  Ecuador. 

After  what  I have  said,  it  would  be  needless  to  de- 
scribe the  night  to  which  travellers  are  condemned.  1 
cannot,  however,  refrain  from  relating  an  incident 
showing  the  stolid  and  uncharitable  character  of  the 
Ecuadorian  Indians.  Travelling  from  Quito  to  Guay- 
aquil in  1863, 1 had  left  Ambato  rather  late  in  the  day, 
and  it  was  dark  when  I came  into  the  neighborhood  of 


62 


FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


Chuquipoyo.  My  companions,  one  of  them  a member 
of  a Spanish  Scientific  Commission,  who  were  not 
familiar  with  the  road,  became  apptehensive  of  having 
passed  the  tambo  without  seeing  it,  and  infected  me 
with  their  doubts.  We  had  already  resolved  to  turn 
back  and  proceed  in  the  direction  of  Ambato  until  we 
should  meet  our  arrieros,  who  were  behind  with  the 
luggage,  when  aside  from  the  road  we  saw  a few 
Indians  in  the  paramo,  who  had  encamped  themselves 
between  the  high  hassocks  of  grass.  We  hailed  them, 
telling  them  that  we  had  lost  the  way,  and  asking 
them  for  the  right  direction  to  Chuquipoyo.  But  in- 
stead of  answering  us,  they  ran  away,  and  hid  them- 
selves in  the  high  grass  of  the  heath.  All  our  halloo- 
ing,  all  our  promises  were  in  vain.  The  Indians  would 
not  come  forward.  Unwilling  to  expose  ourselves 
longer  than  necessary  to  the  chilling  night  air  and  in- 
creasing  darkness,  we  made  after  them,  found  them 
after  a short  hunt,  and  compelled  them  to  give  us  the 
right  direction. 

o 

The  view  which  on  fine  mornings  presents  itself 
from  Chuquipoyo,  is  highly  interesting.  We  descry 
the  sandy  valley  and  city  of  Riobamba,  which  name 
is  connected  with  one  of  the  most  frightful  geological 
revolutions  known  in  the  annals  of  mankind.  The 
present  city  of  Riobamba,  nine  thousand  one  hundred 
and  eighty-nine  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  is 
about  three  leagues  distant  from  the  site  wher£  the  old 
city  stood,  the  ruins  of  which  are  yet  visible  among 
the  humble  buildings  of  the  two  contiguous  villages  of 
Cipatpa  and  Cajabamba.  The  old  city,  founded  in 
T533,  by  Sebastian  Benalcazar,  the  conqueror  of  Quito, 
suffered  greatly  by  the  earthquake  of  1645  ; but  on 
the  4th  of  February,  1797,  it.  was  completely  de- 


THE  CITY  OF  RIOBAMBA. 


63 

stroyed.  With  the  exception  of  four  hundred  and 
eighty  who  escaped,  all  the  inhabitants  perished.  The 
shock  was  so  fearful  that  the  face  of  the  country  was 
entirely  changed.  A part  of  the  mountain  Cicalpa 
was  torn  from  its  base,  crushing  the  city  at  its  foot. 
“Mountains  rose,”  says  Stephenson,  “ where  culti- 
vated valleys  had  existed ; rivers  disappeared  or 
changed  their  course,  and  plains  usurped  the  place  of 
mountains  and  ravines.”  The  site  of  the  city  was 
rent  asunder,  and  a rivulet  now  flows  through  it  which 
had  not  existed  before.  The  surviving;  inhabitants 
were  unable  to  point  out  the  spots  where  their  houses 
had  stood.  Cal  das,  the  Granadian  naturalist,  who 
visited  the  place  shortly  after  the  catastrophe,  and 
while  the  new  city  was  in  process  of  erection  in  the 
plain  of  Tapi,  says  that  many  of  the  survivors  still 
lingered  around  the  ruins,  unable  to  tear  themselves 
from  the  frightful  sepulchre  of  those  they  had  loved. 
The  new  city,  according  to  Villavicencio,1  contains 
about  16,000  inhabitants,  and  several  woolen  factories. 
The  chief  productions  of  the  district  are  wool,  wheat, 
barley,  potatoes,  and  European  culinary  vegetables. 
The  streets  of  the  town  are  broad  and  the  houses  low. 
They  are  built  of  adobes,  and  with  the  exception  of 
those  on  the  plaza,  have  but  a ground-floor.  The 
number  of  the  churches  seems  to  be  in  disproportion 
to  the  population.  The  place  is  very  lifeless ; the 
stores  a?e  generally  attended  by  saleswomen,  and  the\, 
men  pass  their  time  in  idleness,  gambling,  or  gossiping. 

To  the  east  of  Riobamba  we  discover  the  smoky 
summit  of  Sangai,  which  is  probably  the  most  active 
volcano  on  the  globe.  “ Since  the  day  when  it  was 
first  seen  by  the  Spaniards,”  says  Mr.  Spruce,  “ it  has 

1 Geografia  de  laRepublica  del  Ecuador.. 


FOUR  TEARS  AMONG  SPAN1SH-AMERICANS. 


64 

been  in  continual  eruption,  whereas  other  volcanoes 
have  had  their  periods  of  repose ; but  as  it  stands  in 
the  midst  of  uninhabited  forests  (for  the  village  of 
Macas  is  at  least  two  days’  journey  away),  its  erup- 
tions rarely  cause  any  damage  to  the  dwellings  of  man. 
Its  position  is  in  the  Eastern  Cordillera,  about  2° 
South,  longitude  78°  33'  West.  It  is  crowned  by  a 
great  breadth  of  perpetual  snow,  or  rather  of  alternat- 
ing layers  of  snow  and  ashes,  and  even  (it  has  been 
asserted)  of  modern  trachyte.  At  Bodegas  its  explo- 
sions are  often  distinctly  heard ; sometimes  also  at 
Guayaquil.”  On  the  morning  of  the  24th  of  June, 
1861,  when  I first  arrived  at  Bodegas,  the  little  steamer 
in  which  I had  come  had  its  deck  completely  covered 
with  ashes,  and  ashes  covered  the  foliage  of  the  woods 
between  Bodegas  and  Punta  Playas.  These  ashes,  or 
volcanic  dust,  had  been  thrown  out  by  Mt.  Sangai. 
The  fall  began  on  the  23d  of  June,  and  lasted  for  five 
days.  On  the  18th  of  July  another  shower  of  ashes 
reached  Guayaquil,  and  fell  as  thick  as  drizzling  rain. 
The  explosions  of  the  mountain  sound  like  the  dis- 
charges of  cannon.  Its  height  is  17,284  feet. 

Nearer  to  Riobamba  is  the  beautiful  Altar,  17,450 
feet  high.  The  Indians  call  it  Capac  Urcu.  There  is 
a tradition  that  it  was  once  higher  than  Chimborazo, 
when  after  eight  years  of  frightful  eruptions,  the  walls, 
consumed  by  the  volcanic  activity  within,  could  no 
longer  support  their  own  weight,  and  the  top  fell  in. 
Since  the  discovery  of  the  country  by  the  Spaniards, 
no  symptoms  of  volcanic  activity  have  been  observed. 
On  the  afternoon  of  a bright  and  beautiful  October 
day  in  1862,  while  travelling  from  Ambato  to  Rio- 
bamba, I had  a most  perfect  view  of  Altar,  Tungura- 
gua,  Chimborazo,  and  other  snow  peaks.  The  Altar, 


MT.  ALTAR. 


65 


however,  enraptured  me ; and  for  hours  as  I descended 
to,  and  rode  through,  the  sandy  plain  of  Tapi,  my  eye 
was  fascinated  by  its  wondrous  peaks.  The  two 
highest  peaks  at  its  southern  extremity  appeared  to  my 
excited  fancy  like  a king  and  queen  seated  on  icy 
thrones,  clad  in  long  snowy  robes,  and  looking  down 
on  their  hoary  court  of  minor  rocks  and  crags,  with 
calm  and  melancholy  majesty.  Sad  and  sorrowful 
seemed  the  queen  as  the  rays  of  the  setting  sun  lin- 
gered on  her  musing  countenance.  Perhaps  she  had 
come  from  more  genial  climes ; perhaps  birds  had 
caroled  and  flowers  had  smiled  upon  her  happy  child- 
hood, and  now  she  must  pass  her  dreary  life  speechless 
and  motionless,  as  if  charmed  by  an  enchanter’s  spell, 
at  the  cold  side  of  her  ioy  consort.  There  Avas  a mel- 
ancholy and  resigned  expression  in  Avhat  I imagined  to 
be  her  face.  Perhaps  she  was  another  Blanche  de 
Bourbon,  sacrificed  to  some  cruel  Don  Pedro  of  those 
cold  and  lofty  realms,  to  which  e\ren  the  condor  rarely 
elevates  his  soaring  flight,  and  where  not  a leaf,  not  a 
flower,  not  even  a vestige  of  a friendlier  world  breaks 
the  deathlike  loneliness.  There  all  life  is  extinct ; 
vegetation  has  ceased ; the  sweet  notes  of  birds  do  not 
penetrate  into  those  unattainable  altitudes ; and  save 
the  storms  of  heaven,  no  other  sound  but  the  roaring 
of  her  fell  neighbor  Sangai,  reaches  the  ear  of  the  un- 
fortunate queen.  In  wonderful  clearness  the  moun- 
tain rose  before  me,  but  soon  clouds  commenced  to 
circle  around  it;  mists  and  vapors  gradually  dreAV  a 
thin  veil  over  the  majestic  sight,  and  at  last  envious 
fogs  interposed  impenetrably  betAveen  the  steady,  soft, 
and  melancholy  look  of  the  queen  on  high  and  the 
sympathizing  Avanderer  in  the  plain  below.  A few 
5 


66  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


minutes  more  and  the  apparition  was  gone,  but  the 
impression  it  left  will  never  fade  from  my  memory. 

Will  my  readers  pardon  these  fantastic  digressions  ? 
I shall  atone  for  them  by  at  once  continuing  our  jour- 
ney from  Chuquipoyo.  Our  road  now  takes  a north- 
erly direction,  leading  us  into  the  dreary  Paramo  of 
Sanancajas.  The  wilderness  here  seems  endless. 
Again  the  same  monotonous  heath,  the  same  gloomy 
paramo  grass,  and  no  human  habitation  as  far  as  the 
eye  can  reach. 

We  are  to  make  a new  acquaintance,  however.  It  is 
Carguairazo,  the  northern  neighbor  of  Chimborazo,  and 
so  near  the  latter  that  the  Indians  call  it  “ Chimborazo 
Embra ,”  the  female  Chimborazo.  It  is  15,664  feet 
high,  and  is  also  said  to  have  been  higher  than  Chim- 
borazo ; but  on  the  19th  of  June,  1698,  its  top  fell  in 
during  a tremendous  earthquake,  which  almost  totally 
destroyed  the  villages  of  Mocha,  Ambato,  and  Lata- 
- cunga.  In  Ambato  sixteen  hundred  Indians  and  five 
hundred  and  fifty-six  Spaniards  were  crushed  by  the 
falling  houses,  and  in  Latacunga  so  many  persons  per- 
ished, that,  according  to  the  official  records  kept  in  the 
escribania  de  hacienda , it  became  necessary  to  dig 
ditches  for  the  purpose  of  burying  the  dead  in  heaps.1 
Since  that  horrible  catastrophe,  the  mountain  has  given 
no  important  signs  of  volcanic  activity. 

After  passing  two  gloomy  lakes  or  ponds,  which 
must  be  of  recent  formation,  as  the  road  which  for- 
merly passed  over  their  sites  is  still  visible  under  the 
water,  we  leave  the  paramo  behind  us  at  last.  The 

1 Pablo  Herrera,  Ensayo  sobre  la  Historia  de  la  Lifer  at  urn  Ecuatoriana. 
The  author  carefully  examined  the  archives  of  the  municipalities  of  Lata- 
cunga and  Quito,  and  extracted  from  them  many  valuable  items  of  histor- 
ical information.  See  also  Zimmermann,  Die  Wunder  der  Urwelt , Berlin, 
1&56.  Velasco,  Historia  del  Reino  de  Quito,  Quito,  1844. 


VILLAGE  OF  MOCHA. 


67 


character  of  the  landscape  changes  as  we  descend  ; a 
friendly  vegetation  reappears,  and  our  heart  rejoices  at 
seeing  green  bushes,  cultivated  fields,  and  human  habi- 
tations again. 

A steep  descent  to  a mountain  stream  which  must 
be  passed,  and  a short  ascent  to  the  other  side,  leads 
us  to  the  village  of  Mocha.  In  ancient  times  this  was 
an  important  Indian  town,  frequently  mentioned  in  the 
history  of  the  conquest.  Now  it  is  a miserable,  filthy, 
cold,  and  lifeless  village,  but  greatly  welcome  after  the 
dreariness  of  the  paramo,  and  the  hospitality  of  Chu- 
quipoyo.1  It  has  a plaza,  with  an  humble  church, 
which  is  half  in  ruins  ever  since  the  earthquake  of 
1859.  The  traces  of  earthquakes  are  now  bound  to 
haunt  us,  whithersoever  we  may  go. 

1 With  regard  to  taverns  along  the  road,  the  first  white  settlers  of  the 
country  were  ahead  of  their  present  descendants.  According  to  Herrera, 
taverns  were  established  along  the  public  highways  every  five  or  six 
leagues,.  — Dec.  v.,  1.  10,  cap.  11.  Now  the  traveller  must  resort  to 
wretched  hovels  in  which,  in  many  cases,  he  has  to  share  his  lodgings  with 
his  filthy  hosts.  It  is  fortunate,  however,  that,  especially  in  the  interior, 
his  life  and  property  are  perfectly  secure,  for  his  hosts  are  harmless  and 
inoffensive. 


CHAPTER  V. 


From  Mocha  to  Ainbato.  — The  Volcano  Tunguragua.  — The  Towns  of 
Ambato  and  Latacunga.  —Fleas.  — The  Volcano  Cotopaxi.  — Earth 
quakes  and  Prophecies.  — A Gold  Legend.  — The  Treasure  of  Atahu- 
allpa.  — The  Testament  of  Valverde.  — His  Derrotero.  — Mt.  Ilinisa.  — 
The  Plain  and  Village  of  Mulalu.  — Description  of  a Farm-Building.  — 
Signs  of  General  Decay.  — The  Hill  of  Callo.  — The  Footprints  of  St. 
Bartholomew  the  Apostle.  — Inca  Ruins.  — The  Paramo  of  Tiupullo.  — 
The  “ Accursed  Tree.”  — Ruminagui  and  other  Mountains.  — The  Vil- 
lages of  Machachi  and  Tambillo.  — An  Ecuadorian  Tavern.  — End  of 
our  Journey. 

The  road  from  Mocha  to  Ambato  leads  through  long 
rows  and  hedges  of  American  Aloe,  or  Agava  Ameri- 
cana, one  of  the  most  important  and  useful  plants  of 
the  interior,  of  which  I shall  give  a detailed  account 
in  a subsequent  chapter.  The  . first  part  of  the  road 
leads  through  a fertile  region,  producing  potatoes, 
wheat,  barley,  and  other  products  of  the  temperate 
zone.  The  climate  is  delightful ; neither  hot  nor  cold, 
though  rather  cool.  The  latter  half  of  the  road  lies 
through  a sandy  and  sterile  country,  producing  scanty 
crops  of  maize,  barley,  pease,  and  lupines.  The  road 
seems  to  be  buried  under  deep  layers  of  light  sand, 
and  if  there  is  a strong  breeze,  it  drives  clouds  of  un- 
welcome dust  in  the  eyes  of  the  traveller. 

To  the  southeast  of  the  road,  in  clear  weather,  a 
charming  view  of  Mt.  Tunguragua  may  be  enjoyed. 
This  volcano,  16,514  feet  high,  is  one  of  the  most 
attractive  and  interesting  mountains  in  Ecuador.  Its 
form  is  that  of  a perfect  cone,  and  while  its  highest 


THE  TOWN  OF  AMBATO. 


69 


parts  are  covered  with  a long  and  splendid  robe  of 
snow,  the  sugar-cane  grows  at  its  base  in  the  Valley  of 
Banos.  In  my  opinion,  it  is  the  most  beautiful  of  all 
the  snow  peaks  in  the  country. 

The  town  of  Ambato  is  not  visible  from  a distance. 
It  lies  in  a caldron,  and  does  not  present  itself  before 
you  are  right  above  it.  It  is  surrounded  by  steep  and 
barren  sandy  mountains,  almost  without  vegetation, 
but  its  aspect  is  very  pleasing.  It  is  a friendly  green 
spot  — a smiling  oasis  in  a desert,  with  houses  peeping 
through  numberless  gardens,  orchards,  and  clover-fields. 
It  is  famous  for  its  fruit.  Tunas,  granadillas,  monster 
strawberries,  which  the  natives  call  frutillas ; peaches, 
apricots,  and  apples,  (the  three  latter  species,  however, 
of  a very  inferior  quality)  ; wild  cherries  ( cajpulis ), 
guavas,  etc.,  grow  in  abundance.  Being  but  8567 
feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,1  and  protected  by  high 
mountains  on  all  sides,  its  temperature  is  very  agreea- 
ble, and  a great  deal  milder  than  that  of  Quito.  It 
may,  indeed,  boast  of  the  climate  of  an  eternal  spring. 
Its  population  is  estimated  at  eight  thousand.  It  has 
several  plazas  and  churches  ; but  the  houses  have  sel- 
dom more  than  a ground-floor,  with  the  exception  of 
those  on  or  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Plaza  Mayor. 
The  buildings  are  of  sun-baked  brick,  and  the  better 
ones  neatlv  whitewashed.  The  gutters  are  in  the  cen- 
tre  of  the  streets,  and  through  some  of  them  streams 
of  limpid  water  flow.  The  only  tolerable  boots  and 
shoes  manufactured  in  the  country  are  made  here. 
The  Cochineal,2  too,  is  found  in  abundance  in  the 

1 According  to  the  measurement  of  Mr.  Spruce.  Dr.  Jameson  has  it 
at  8540. 

2 “ The  name  given  by  the  Spaniards  to  this  valuable  insect  is  cochinilla , 
signifying  a little  pig,  because  it  bears  a resemblance  to  one ; in  the  satm 
manner  as  in  some  parts  of  England  it  is  supposed  that  the  wood-louse  re- 


70  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


leaves  of  the  cactus,  and  collected  by  the  natives  for 
dyeing,  although  but  little  or  no  attention  is  paid  to  the 
cultivation  of  the  cactus,  or  of  the  insect.  Coarse 
woollen  ponchos  are  also  manufactured  at  a cheap  rate. 
On  market-days,  especially  on  Sundays,  the  Plaza 
Mayor,  with  its  motley  crowd  of  Indians,  in  ponchos 
of  all  colors,  presents  a most  lively  and  grotesque  ap- 
pearance. 

The  town  is  situated  on  the  right  bank  of  the 
river  Ambato,  along  which  many  friendly  haciendas 
extend.  During  the  fruit  season,  about  Christmas 
and  New  Year,  Ambato  is  visited  by  many  of  the 
wealthy  residents  of  Quito,  who  come  to  eat  fruit  and 
enjoy  the  mildness  of  the  climate.  There  is  much  less 
rain  at  Ambato  than  at  Quito  and  other  places  of  the 
interior.  On  clear  nights  the  fiery  vapors  of  Mt.  Co- 
topaxi are  visible.  The  casa  posada  (tavern)  which 
existed  there  during  my  time,  was  a miserable  concern, 
the  rooms  full  of  dust,  filth,  and  fleas,  and  the  kitchen 
abominable.  There  were,  as  in  all  other  taverns  in 
the  interior,  bedsteads  in  the  rooms,  but  no  bedding, 
as  travellers  are  expected  to  carry  their  own  bedding 
with  them. 

Ascending  from  the  caldron  in  which  Ambato  is 
situate,  we  reach  a broad  table-land  over  which  the 
road  leads  to  Latacunga.  The  two  principal  branches 

sembles  a hog.  The  cactus  on  which  it  feeds  is  not  so  prickly  as  the  tuna 
which  in  the  West  Indies  is  called  the  prickly  pear.  The  leaves  are  very 
green,  as  well  as  the  rind  of  the  fruit;  but  the  inside  is  of  a most  beautiful 
red  color,  similar  to  that  of  the  cochinilla.  It  is  very  palatable,  and  when 

eaten,  communicates  its  own  color  to  the  urine Instead  of  killing 

the  insect,  after  taking  it  from  the  cactus,  by  placing  it  in  an  earthen  jar, 
and  exposing  it  to  a heat  sufficiently  strong  to  destroy  its  vitality,  and 
then  pieserving  it  in  bags,  as  the  Mexican  Indians  do,  it  is  ground  or 
bruised  to  the  consistency  of  paste,  and  often  adulterated  with  the  juice  of 
the  fruit  and  flour.”  — Stephenson. 


LATACUNGA. 


71 


of  the  Cordillera  widen  here,  and  allow  us  to  view  the 
country  for  miles  around.  The  road  lies  through  an 
endless  prolongation  of  narrow  lanes,  formed  by  in- 
terminable hedges  of  aloes,  magueys,  and  cacti.  A 
beautiful  heliotrope  which  grows  among  these  hedges, 
casts  fragrance  on  our  path.  Approaching  Latacunga, 
the  country  becomes  perfectly  sterile ; the  mountains 
are  entirely  arid,  and  dreary  plains,  covered  with  vol- 
canic sands  and  pumice-stone,  indicate  the  neighbor- 
hood of  the  dreadful  volcano  Cotopaxi,  which  has 
caused  so  much  suffering  and  destruction  to  this  part 
of  the  country. 

The  houses  of  the  town  of  Latacunga,  or  as  it  was 
originally  called  Llactacunga , are  built  of  pumice-stone, 
thrown  out  by  the  eruptions  of  Mt.  Cotopaxi.  They 
are  almost  all  without  an  upper  story,  and  present 
rather  a gloomy  appearance.  The  elevation  of  Lata- 
cunga is  9170  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,1  and 
its  climate,  cold.  It  is  seldom  we  see  an  inhabitant  of 
the  place  without  a cloak  or  a poncho.  There  is  al- 
ways a tavern  at  Latacunga,  but  naturally,  not  with- 
out the  chief  production  of  the  place  — fleas.  In  fact, 
the  streets  and  public  squares  of  the  town  are  filthy 
par  excellence.  Filth,  according  to  a Spanish-Ameri- 
can  authority,2  is  a characteristic  trait  of  the  province 
of  Quito.  Ida  Pfeiffer  says  that  after  a night’s  rest 
in  Latacunga,  she  awoke  with  her  skin  marked  all  over 
with  red  spots,  as  if  from  an  eruptive  disease.  The 
place  is  not  one  of  business  or  enterprise.  It  is  half 
in  ruins,  owing  to  the  many  earthquakes  with  which 
it  has  been  visited.  Some  of  the  churches  are  down, 
and  in  slow  process  of  reconstruction.  The  town  lies 
at  the  foot  of  a little  hill  on  which  the  old  town 


1 Jameson. 


Caldas. 


72  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


and  which  is  yet  covered  with  ruins.  In  fact,  Lata- 
cunga  is  the  very  image  of  decay,  and  the  only  celeb- 
rity it  has  acquired,  it  owes  to  its  earthquakes,  and  to 
the  pomp  of  its  religious  processions.  Its  population 
is  estimated  at  16,000,  the  great  majority  of  whom  are 
Indians.  It  was  an  important  Indian  town  before  the 
arrival  of  the  Spaniards,  and  temples,  palaces,  and  royal 
factories  are  said  to  have  been  constructed  there  by  the 
great  Inca  Huaynacapac. 

After  the  conquest  the  Indian  population  was  greatly 
reduced  by  the  cruelty  and  avarice  of  the  Spaniards. 
<£t  present  the  Indians  of  Latacunga  are  famous  for 
their  mummeries  and  dances  during  semana  santa  (holy 
week),  and  between  Christmas  and  New  Year’s.  To 
do  honor  to  the  occasion,  they  hire  fancy  dresses  and 
jewels  for  these  dances,  at  an  expense  which  not  only 
swallows  up  a whole  year’s  earnings,  but  generally  in- 
creases the  interminable  debt  for  which  they  are  held 
toB  labor.  The  Indians  of  Latacunga,  especially  the 
women,  are  very  ugly,  but  have  beautiful  teeth,  of 
dazzling  whiteness. 

1 have  already  mentioned  what  Latacunga  suffered 
from  the  earthquake  which  accompanied  the  falling  in 
of  the  top  of  Mt.  Carguairazo.  Eight  thousand  per- 
sons are  said  to  have  perished  on  that  occasion.  Ac- 
cording to  Father  Velasco,1  who  carefully  compiled 
and  religiously  believed  in  all  the  miraculous  legends 
be  could  scrape  together,  this  earthquake  had  been 
predicted  seven  years  before  it  took  place,  in  a sermon 
preached  by  Father  Jose  de  Cases.  He  announced 
the  catastrophe  as  a punishment  for  the  immoral 
amusements,  such  as  masquerades  and  bull-fights,  with 
which  the  inhabitants  were  fond  of  celebrating  the  festi- 

1 History  of  the  Kingdom  of  Quito. 


EARTHQUAKES. 


73 


val  of  St.  John.  Father  Velasco  quotes  from  the  ser- 
mon which  the  venerable  prophet  is  said  to  have 
preached  on  that  occasion.  He  makes  him  tell  his  in- 
credulous congregation  that  even  the  temple  in  which 
he  stood  would  fall,  with  the  exception  of  the  column 
that  sustained  the  pulpit.  And  so,  the  chronicler  as- 
sures his  readers,  it  happened.  The  Carmelite  nuns, 
who  had  believed  in  the  prophecy,  and  slept  under 
tents  in  their  garden  for  seven  years  after  it,  to  avoid 
being  crushed  by  the  apprehended  fall  of  their  con- 
vent, were  saved. 

According  to  the  same  credible  authority,  the  earth- 
quake of  1757,  by  which  four  hundred  lives  were 
destroyed  (two  hundred  persons  were  killed  while  lis- 
tening to  a sermon  in  the  Church  of  the  Jesuits),  had 
also  been  predicted  thirteen  years  before  it  took  place, 
by  a Father  Saldana,  a Jesuit.  In  a country  where 
superstition  and  fanaticism  reign  supreme,  it  is  very 
customary  to  refer  such  catastrophes  to  previous  pre- 
dictions. On  the  other  hand,  it  requires  no  prophetic 
gift  to  predict  calamities  which,  considering  the  vol- 
canic nature  of  the  soil,  are  unfortunately  of  but  too 
frequent  occurrence,  and  may  hourly  be  apprehended. 
If  the  believers  in  such  prophecies  are  only  patient 
enough  to  bear  them  in  mind  for  seven  or  thirteen 
years,  as  in  the  above  cases,  it  is  very  probable  that 
they  will  live  to  witness  their  fulfillment.1 

1 “ The  terror  which  they  (earthquakes)  cause  excites  the  imagination 
even  to  a painful  extent,  and  overbalancing  the  judgment,  predisposes  men 
to  superstitious  fancies.  And  what  is  highly  curious  is,  that  repetition,  so  far 
from  blunting  such  feelings,  strengthens  them.  In  Peru,  where  earthquakes 
appear  to  be  more  common  than  in  any  other  country,  every  succeeding 
visitation  increases  the  general  dismay,  so  that  in  some,  cases  the  fear  be- 
comes almost  insupportable.  The  mind  is  thus  constantly  thrown  into  a 
timid  and  anxious  state;  and  men,  witnessing  the  most  serious  dangers, 
which  they  can  neither  avoid  nor  understand,  become  impressed  with  a 


74  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SFANISH-AMERICANS. 


In  1797,  many  of  the  churches  and  convents,  rebuilt 
former  visitations,  were  thrown  down  again,  and 
many  lives  lost.  This  catastrophe  was  followed  by 
another  in  1802,  and  still  another  in  1859,  the  latter 
doing  considerable  damage.  These  earthquakes  ( ter - 
remotos ) must  be  distinguished  from  those  frequent 
shocks  of  more  or  less  violence,  and  doing  more  or 
less  damage,  which  the  natives  call  temblor es.  They 
occur  too  often  to  be  noticed  by  the  chroniclers  ; 1 un- 
less we  should  find  a seeond  Santiago  Perez  Valencia, 
a New  Granadian,  who  for  forty  years  kept  a register 
of  all  earthquakes  and  shocks  which  took  place  at  Po- 
payan,  the  city  where  he  resided.  According  to  this 
register,  Popayan  experienced  one  hundred  and  two 
earthquakes  between  the  years  1805  and  1841.2 

But  earthquakes  were  not  the  only  scourge  of  the 
town  of  Latacunga.  The  eruptions  of  Mt.  Cotopaxi, 
which  is  but  five  leagues  distant,  formed  another 
source  of  calamities,  alarms,  and  apprehensions.  This 


conviction  of  their  own  inability,  and  of  the  poverty  of  their  own  resources. 
In  exactly  the  same  proportion  the  imagination  is  aroused,  and  a belief  in 
supernatural  interference  actively  encouraged.  Human  power  failing,  su- 
perhuman power  is  called  in,  the  mysterious  and  the  invisible  are  believed 
to  be  present,  and  there  grow  up  among  the  people  those  feelings  of  awe 
and  of  helplessness  on  Avhich  all  superstition  is  based,  and  without  which 
no  superstition  can  exist.”  — Buckle’s  History  of  Civilization  in  England , 
chap.  ii. 

1 “ In  the  earthquake  of  1743  a Jesuit,  Father  Vallejo,  was  in  the  church 
when  the  roof  fell  in.  He  remained  under  the  ruins  till  the  third  day,  when 
he  was  taken  out  unhurt,  but  his  mental  faculties  were  so  completely  de- 
ranged, that  he  had  forgotten  his  own  name,  nor  did  he  recollect  any  of 
his  most  particular  friends;  and  although  a priesy^hen  his  breviary  was 
presentedtohim.be  could  not  read  it,  but  appeared  quite  childish.  He 
afterwards  resided  in  the  College  of  Quito,  but  his  memory  had  so  entirely 
abandoned  him  that  he  never  could  recollect  any  thing  that  had  occurred 
to  him  before  the  earthquake,  not  even  his  studies,  and  he  was  afterwards 
taught  to  read,  and  to  celebrate  a vfftive  mask.”  — Stephenson. 

2 Acosta’s  Notes  to  his  Spanish  Translation  of  Boussingault's  Scientific 
Voyages  to  the  Ecuadorian  Andes. 


“CABEZA  DEL  INCA. 


75 


famous  mountain  (18,890  feet  high)  is,  on  clear  days, 
distinctly  visible  from  Latacunga,  Mulalu,  Macha- 
chi,  Tambillo,  and  all  the  higher  points  of  Quito. 
Clad  in  a virgin  robe  of  snow,  it  presents  a most  beau- 
tiful appearance.  Its  shape  is  that  of  a regular  trun- 
cated cone,  with  aflat  summit.  The  crater  which  opens 
on  the  top  of  the  mountain  being  in  uninterrupted  ac- 
tivity, dense  volumes  of  white  and  gray  smoke  are 
continually  issuing  from  it,  forming  themselves  into  the 
most  fantastic  shapes.  Generally  the  smoke  assumes 
the  form  of  an  enormous  tree  with  a trunk  and 
branches,  until  a current  of  air  tears  it  away  from  the 
mountain,  and  leaves  it  hovering  in  the  sky,  where  it 
remains  as  a cloud.  New  formations  will  then  slowly 
arise  from  the  crater,  and  are,  in  their  turn,  carried 
away  by  aerial  currents.  At  night  the  smoke  issuing 
from  the  mountain  forms  a pillar  of  fire,  and  fire  beams 
through  the.  clefts  and  fissures  of  the  summit.  The 
noise  produced  by  the  explosions  of  Cotopaxi  resem- 
bles the  rumbling  of  thunder,  and  may  frequently  be 
heard  at  Quito,  and  sometimes  even  further  to  the 
north.  Fine  sand  and  ashes  are  thrown  out  almost 
without  intermission,  and  prove  very  detrimental  to 
the  cattle  of  the  haciendas  around  the  mountain.  On 
its  lower  declivity,  very  near  the  snow  limit,  is  a huge 
mass  of  rock  called  by  some  Gabeza  del  Inca , (the  In- 
ca’s head,)  according  to  an  ancient  tradition  that  it  was 
the  original  summit  of  the  mountain  torn  off  and 
hurled  down  by  an  eruption  on  the  day  the  Inca  Ata- 
huallpa  was  executed  by  Pizarro  at  Cajamarca.  Ac- 
cording to  the  information  collected  by  Fray  Marcos 
de  Niza  shortly  after  the  event,  that  eruption  took 
place  the  evening  before  tin;  treacherous  capture  of 
Atahuallpa. 


76  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


Since  its  second  eruption,  which  is  said  to  have  taken 
place  in  1534,  Cotopaxi  remained  quiet  for  over  two 
hundred  years,  until  in  the  beginning  of  1742  another 
great  eruption  took  place,  throwing  out  immense  quan- 
tities of  water  and  mud,  and  doing  great  damage  to  the 
bridges,  fields,  and  cattle  in. the  neighborhood.1 

The  third  eruption  took  place  on  the.  9th  of  Decem- 
ber, 1742,  and  was  preceded  by  a rumbling,  subterra- 
nean noise,  which  lasted  for  several  days.  The  roaring 
by  which  it  was  accompanied  was  heard  at  a distance 
of  sixty  leagues.  Its  principal  feature  was  a great  in- 
undation, which  is  generally  ascribed  to  the  enormous 
mass  of  snow  which  covered  the  mountain,  and  was 
suddenly  melted  by  the  heat  of  the  crater  and  the 
streams  of  boiling  water  it  threw  out.  The  flood, 
breaking  over  the  narrow  bed  of  the  river  Latacunga, 
inundated  the  plain  below,  destroying  many  haciendas, 
a great  number  of  cattle,  and  a part  of  the  district  of 
Latacunga  called  “ barrio  caliente .”  Whether  such  an 

inundation  can  really  have  proceeded  from  the  melt- 
ing of  the  snow-cover  of  Cotopaxi,  may  perhaps  be 
doubted.  Father  Velasco  indignantly  rejects  the  hy- 
pothesis; but  he  is  no  scientific  authority.  I have 
often  seen  the  mountain  either  without  snow,  or  with 
a part  of  its  snow-cover  suddenly  missing,  — a phe- 
nomenon which  was  almost  always  accompanied  by 
a sudden  rise  of  the  river  Latacunga.  Whether  the 
snow  had  melted  in  consequence  of  eruptions,  or 
whether  it  had  been  completely  covered  by  a layer  t of 
brown  cinders  and  scoria,  I am  unable  to  say. 

On  the  4th  of  November,  1744,  the  fourth  great 

1 Dr.  Pablo  Herrera,  the  author  of  Ensnyo  sob  re  la  Historia  de  la  Liter  a- 
tura  Ecuntorinna , has  corrected  the  dates  of  the  principal  eruptions  given 
by  Velasco  and  adopted  by  Stephenson.  I have  adopted  these  corrections, 
as  they  are  based  on  record  evidence. 


ERUPTIONS  OF  COTOPAXI. 


77 


eruption  took  place.  On  this  occasion  the  force  of  the 
explosion  opened  a deep  cleft  or  ravine,  which  now 
leads  from  the  western  side  of  the  crater  to  the  foot  of 
the  mountain.  The  eruption  was  again  accompanied 
by  a most  disastrous  inundation.  The  flood  reached 
the  Plaza  Mayor  of  Latacunga,  filling  the  streets, 
court-yards  and  houses. 

February  2d,  1757.  This  was  the  third  eruption 
followed  by  an  inundation.  Again  the  plains  of  Mu- 
lalu  and  Callo,  and  the  town  of  Latacunga  were  devas- 
tated by  a flood,  and  to  increase  the  general  dismay 
and  terror,  shocks  of  earthquake  were  felt,  which 
threw  down  the  churches  of  the  town,  and  laid  several 
adjoining  villages  in  ruins. 

February  10th,  1766-.  — There  was  no  earthquake 
this  time,  but  another  inundation,  produced  by  the 
waters  which  rushed  down  from  Cotopaxi.  The  sand 
and  ashes  which  were  thrown  out,  destroyed  the  crops 
for  many  miles  around. 

April  4th,  1768.  — This  explosion  was  announced 
by  monstrous  columns  of  smoke  and  fire,  which  were 
followed  by  an  earthquake  and  a rain  of  ashes,  ejected 
in  such  quantities  that  the  sun  was  completely  hidden, 
and  for  several  hours  the  inhabitants  of  the  neighbor- 
ing  towns  and  villages  were  obliged  to  light  candles 
and  use  lanterns  in  the  daytime.  The  thatched  roofs 
of  many  of  the  huts  were  crushed  by  the  weight  of 
the  sand  and  ashes  which  had  fallen  on  them.  The 
noise  of  the  falling  sand  resembled  that  of  a heavy 
shower.  The  crops  were  destroyed,  and  a great  num- 
ber of  cattle  perished.  At  the  same  time  the  roaring 
of  the  volcano  was  incessant.  Such  catastrophes 
always  produce  the  usual  manifestations  of  terror  and 
superstition  among  the  people.  Persons  rash  out  on 


78  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


the  streets,  loudly  confessing  their  sins ; the  wooden 
statues  of  the  saints  are  taken  from  the  churches  and 
carried  around  in  procession  ; psalms  are  chanted ; and 
during  the  earthquake  of  1859  at  Quito,  persons  threw 
themselves  at  the  f )et  of  the  archbishop,  who  was  on 
the  Plaza  Mayor,  and  prayed  to  be  absolved  from  their 
sins. 

January,  1803.  — This  eruption,  too,  was  followed 
by  a disastrous  flood,  causing  great  damage.  Hum- 
boldt heard  the  noise  of  the  explosions  at  Guayaquil, 
at  a distance  of  fifty-two  leagues  in  a straight  line 
from  the  crater.  It  sounded  like  the  continued  dis- 
charges of  a battery. 

From  that  time  the  mountain  remained  tolerably 
quiet  until  1851,  when  the.  flames  went  high,  and 
slight  eruptions  took  place,  sending  sand  and  ashes  to 
its  eastern  side. 

In  1855  it  threw  out  sand,  a great  quantity  of  water, 
and  even  stones,  which  it  scattered  over  the  plains  of 
Mulalu  and  Callo.  Since  then  it  has  been  vomiting 
forth  dense  columns  of  smoke,  accompanied  now  and 
then  by  a fine  rain  of  ashes,  but  has  done  no  damage, 
if  we  except  the  gradual  sterilizing  of  the  fields  around 
it,  to  which  the  continued  eruption  of  cinders  and  sand 
must  inevitably  lead. 

Latacunga  is  the  starting-point  of  the  most  romantic 
gold  legend  circulating  in  Ecuador.  As  it  has  a 
better  claim  to  consideration  than  any  other  of  the 
many  idle  gold-stories  in  which  the  interior  abounds, 
and  as  it  has  led  to  many  adventurous  expeditions 
into  the  mountains  of  Llanganati,  where  the  treasure 
that  enriched  Yal verde  is  said  to  be  buried,  I will  give 
a full  account  of  it,  availing  myself  of  the  information 
contained  in  a pamphlet  written  by  Mr.  Spruce,  the 


THE  LLANGANATI  WILDERNESS. 


79 


celebrated  botanist,  who  made  a scientific  exploration 
of  tbe  wilderness  of  Llanganati : — 1 

“ In  tbe  month  of  July,  1857,”  says  Mr.  Spruce, 
“ I reached  Banos,  where  I learned  that  the  snowy 
points  I had  observed  from  Paca-yacu,  between  Tun- 
guragua  and  Cotopaxi,  were  the  summits  of  a group 
of  mountains  called  Llanganati,  from  which  ran  down 
to  the  Pastasa  the  densely  wooded  ridges  I saw  to  the 
northward.  I was  further  informed  that  these  moun- 
tains abounded  in  all  sorts  of  metals,  and  that  it  was 
universally  believed  that  the  Incas  had  deposited  an 
immense  quantity  of  gold  in  an  artificial  lake  on  the 
flanks  of  one  of  the  peaks,  at  the  time  of  the  Spanish 
Conquest.  They  spoke  also  of  one  Valverde,  a Span- 
iard, who  from  being  poor,  had  suddenly  become  very 
rich,  which  was  attributed  to  his  having  married  an 
Indian  girl,  whose  father  showed  him  where  the 
treasure  was  hidden,  and  accompanied  him  on  various 
occasions  to  bring  away  portions  of  it ; and  that  V al- 
verde  returned  to  Spain,  and  when  on  his  death-bed, 
bequeathed  the  secret  of  his  riches  to  the  King. 
Many  expeditions,  public  and  private,  had  been  made 
to  follow  the  track  indicated  by  Valverde,  but  no  one 
had  succeeded  in  reaching  its  terminus  ; and  I spoke 
with  two  men  at  Banos  who  had  accompanied  such  ex- 
peditions, and  had  nearly  perished  with  cold  and  hun- 
ger on  the  paramo  of  Llanganati,  where  they  had 
wandered  for  thirty  days.  The  whole  story  seemed  so 
impossible  that  I paid  little  attention  to  it,  and  I set  to 
work  to  examine  the  vegetation  of  the  adjacent  vol- 

1 Richard  Spruce,  On  the  Mountains  of  Llanganati  in  the  Eastern  Cordil- 
lera of  the  Quitenian  Andes , illustrated  by  a map  constructed  by  the  late 
Don  Atanasio  Guzman;  Read  before  the  Royal  Geographical  Society  of 
London , on  the  12 th  March , 1860. 


80  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


cano  Tunguramia,  at  whose  northeastern  foot  the  vil- 
lage  of  Bauos  is  situated. 

44  In  the  summers  of  the  years  1858  and  1859  I 
visited  Quito  and  various  points  in  the  Western  Cor- 
dillera, and  for  many  months  the  country  was  so  inse- 
cure on  account  of  internal  dissensions,  that  I could 
not  leave  Ambato  and  Riobamba,  where  my  goods 
were  deposited,  for  more  than  a few  days  together.  I 
obtained,  however,  indisputable  evidence  that  the 
4 Derrotero,’  or  guide  to  Llanganati,  of  Valverde,  had 
been  sent  by  the  King  of  Spain  to  the  Corregidors  of 
Tacunga  and  Ambato,  along  with  a 4 Cedula  Real,' 
commanding  those  functionaries  to  use  every  diligence 
in  seeking  out  the  treasure  of  the  Incas.  That  one  ex- 
pedition had  been  headed  by  the  Corregidor  of  Ta- 
cunga in  person,  accompanied  by  a friar,  Padre  Longo, 
of  considerable  literary  reputation.  The  4 Derrotero  ’ 
(guide)  was  found  to  correspond  so  exactly  with  the 
actual  localities,  that  only  a person  intimately  acquainted 
with  them  could  have  drawn  it  up ; and  that  it  could 
have  been  fabricated  by  any  other  person  who  was 
never  out  of  Spain,  was  an  impossibility.  This  expe- 
dition had  nearly  reached  the  end  of  the  route,  when 
one  evening  the  Padre  Longo  disappeared  mysteri- 
ously, and  no  traces  of  him  could  be  discovered ; so 
that  whether  he  had  fallen  into  a ravine  near  which' 
they  were  encamped,  or  into  one  of  the  morasses 
which  abound  all  over  that  region,  is  to  this  day  un- 
known. After  searching:  in  vain  for  the  Padre  foi 
some  days,  the  expedition  returned,  without  having 
accomplished  its  object. 

44  The  4 Cedula  Real  ’ and  4 Derrotero  ’ were  de- 
posited in  the  archives  of  Tacunga,  whence  they  dis- 
appeared about  twenty  years  ago.  So  many  people 


THE  GOLD  OF  LLANGANATI. 


81 


were  admitted  to  copy  them,  that  at  last  some  one,  not 
content  with  a copy,  carried  off  the  original.  I have 
secured  a copy  of  the  4 Derrotero,’  bearing  date  Au- 
gust 14,  1827,  but  I can  meet  with  no  one  who  recol  • 
lects  the  date  of  the  original  documents. 

u I also  ascertained  that  a botanist,  Don  Atanasio 
Guzman,  who  resided  some  time  in  the  town  of  Pillaro, 
and  lost  his  life  by  an  accident  near  the  town  of  Patate, 
had  headed  many  expeditions  in  quest  of  the  gold  of 
Llanganati.  He  also  made  the  map  of  the  Llanganatis 
which  is  prefixed  to  this  sketch.  Guzman  and  his 
companions,  although  they  found  no  deposits  of  gold, 
came  on  the  mouths  of  several  silver  and  copper  mines 
which  had  been  worked  in  the  time  of  the  Incas,  and 
ascertained  the  existence  of  other  metals  and  minerals. 
They  began  to  work  the*  mines,  at  first  with  ardor, 
which  soon,  however,  cooled  down,  partly  in  conse- 
quence of  intestine  quarrels,  but  chiefly  because  they 
became  disgusted  with  that  slow  mode  of  acquiring 
wealth,  when  there  was  molten  gold  supposed  to  be 
hidden  close  by ; and  so  the  mines  were  at  length  all 
abandoned.  This  is  supposed  to  have  taken  place  in 
the  early  part  of  the  present  century,  but  the  exact 
date  I can  by  no  means  ascertain.  Guzman  is  reported 
to  have  met  with  Humboldt,  and  to  have  shown  his 
drawings  of  plants*  and  animals  to  that  prince  of  trav- 
ellers. He  died  about  1806  or  1808,  in  the  Valley  of 
Seytu,  about  four  leagues  distant  from  Ambato,  at  a 
small  farm-house  now  called  Seytillo.  He  was  a som- 
nambulist, and  having  one  night  walked  out  of  the 
house  while  asleep,  he  fell  down  a steep  place,  and  so 
perished.” 

Mr.  Spruce  then  proceeds  to  criticise  the  map  of 
Guzman,  and  adds  a translation  of  the  “ Derrotero,” 

6 * 


82  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 

which,  together  with  some  necessary  explanations,  will 
be  found  in  the  appendix  to  this  work.  After  this  he 
gives  an  account  of  his  own  exploration  of  the  road 
pointed  out  by  the  44  guide,”  the  description  of  which 
perfectly  corresponds  to  the  actual  locality,  until  the 
mountain  Margasitas  is  reached.  44  Beyond  this,”  he 
continues,  u no  one  has  been  able  to  proceed  with  cer- 
tainty. The  4 Derrotero  ’ directs  it  to  be  left  on  the 
left  hand,  but  the  explanatory  hieroglyph  (4  and  I warn 
thee  that  thou  must  go  round  it  in  this  fashion  ^ ’) 
puzzles  every  body,  as  it  seems  to  leave  the  mountain 
on  the  right.  Accordingly,  nearly  all  who  have  at- 
tempted to  follow  the  4 Derrotero,’  have  gone  to  the 
left  of  Margasitas,  and  have  failed  to  find  any  of  the 
remaining  marks  signalized  by  Valverde. 

44  The  mines  of  Llanganati,  after  having  been  neg- 
lected  for  nearly  half  a century,  are  now  being  sought 
out  again  with  the  intention  of  working  them ; but 
there  is  no  single  person,  at  the  present  day,  able  to 
employ  the  labor  and  capital  required  for  successfully 
working  a silver  mine  ; and  mutual  confidence  is  at  so 
low  an  ebb  in  this  country  that  companies  never  hold 
together  long.  Beside  this,  the  gold  of  the  Incas 
never  ceases  to  haunt  people’s  memories.  But  if  the 
4 Socabon  ’ of  Valverde  cannot  at  this  day  be  dis- 
covered, it  is  known  to  every  one  that  gold  exists  at  a 
short  distance,  and  possibly  in  considerable  quantity, 
if  the  Ecuadorians  would  only  take  the  trouble  to 
search  for  it,  and  not  leave  that  task  to  the  wild  In- 
dians, who  are  content  if  by  scooping  up  the  gravel 
with  their  hands,  they  can  get  together  enough  gold  to 
fill  the  quill  which  the  white  man  has  given  them  as 
the  measure  of  the  value  of  the  axes  and  lance-heads 
he  has  supplied  to  them  on  trust.” 


THE  VILLAGE  OF  MULALU. 


83 


Leaving  Latacunga  on  a clear  day  early  in  the  morn- 
ing, we  have  a beautiful  view  of  Cotopaxi  in  the  east- 
ern, and  Ilinisa  (17,649  feet  high)  in  the  western 
Cordillera,  while  Tunguragua,  Chimborazo,  and  Car- 
guairazo,  remain  behind  us,  and  gradually  fade  from 
our  view.  Again  the  road  leads  through  long  rows 
and  hedges  of  American  aloe ; but  the  fields  are 
sandy  and  somewhat  sterile.  Cattle-breeding  is  car- 
ried on  extensively  on  the  haciendas  along  the  skirts  of 
Cotopaxi.  The  snows  and  waters  of  the  mountain 
form  the  River  Tacunga,  which  must  be  passed  about 
two  leagues  from  the  town  which  shares  its  name. 
Sudden  rises,  attributed  to  the  rains  and  to  the  melting 
of  snow  on  Cotopaxi,  make  it  frequently  unfordable 
for  several  days  in  succession.  Its  current  is  very 
rapid,  and  its  water  sometimes  partakes  of  the  brown 
color  which  characterizes  the  volcano  whenever  it  is, 
or  at  least  seems  to  be,  destitute  of  snow. 

The  plains  of  Mulalu  and  Callo,  to  the  west  of  Co- 
topaxi, present  a gloomy  aspect.  The  soil  seems  to  be 
buried  under  volcanic  sands,  and  is  covered  with  count- 
less rocks  of  all  dimensions,  which  tradition  attributes 
to  former  eruptions  of  the  mountain,  although  the 
opinion  of  scientific  men  like  Wisse,  Zimmermann,  and 
other  celebrated  naturalists,  militates  against  such  a 
hypothesis. 

The  village  of  Mulalu  is  an  Indian  settlement  of  no 
importance.  The  hacienda  on  the  west  side  of  the 
road,  to  which  the  tambo  belongs,  is  a melancholy  pict- 
ure of  sadness  and  decay.  The  buildings  are  designed 
in  a most  elegant  style,  but  are  now  in  ruins.  The 
statues  in  the  garden  have  tumbled  from  their  pedes- 
tals. Elegant  stone  balustrades  are  crumbling  awav. 
The  fountains  are  without  water,  and  their  stone  ba- 


84  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


sins  breaking  to  pieces.  The  whole  building  contains 
but  one  habitable  and  furnished  room  ; the  others  are 
miserable,  windowless  hovels,  used  for  store-rooms  or 
occupied  by  the  family  of  the  mayor-domo.  The  gar- 
den is  well  laid  out,  but  overgrown  with  weeds. 
Every  thing;  betokens  the  indifference  or  increasing 
poverty  of  the  owners.  And  what  I have  said  of  this 
hacienda  is  true  of  most  of  the  farm  buildings  of  tTie 
interior ; they  are  all  either  unfinished  or  already  in 
ruins,  if  not  both.  What  the  earthquake  spares  will 
not  escape  the  sloth  and  carelessness  of  the  natives. 
Walls  that  once  tumble  down  are  seldom  built  up  again, 
or  it  will  take  years  to  repair  them.  Lifelessness  and 
decay  are  the  characteristic  features  of  the  country.  If 
the  sins  of  the  fathers  were  ever  avenged  in  their  chil- 
dren  and  children’s  children,  it  has  been  done  in  Span- 
ish America.  The  crimes  of  the  early  conquerors 
have  borne  their  deadly  fruits.  Ruins  and  decay, 
stagnation  and  indolence,  ignorance  and  superstition, 
idleness  and  civil  wars,  are  the  causes  which  blight 
more  than  one  half  of  the  American  continent  as  fai 
as  the  Spanish  tongue  is  spoken.  There  is,  indeed 
poetic  justice  in  history. 

Leaving  Mulalu,  the  aspect  of  the  treeless  country 
increases  in  dreariness.  For  miles  around,  the  soil  is 
covered  with  volcanic  sands,  rocks,  and  pumice-stones, 
allowing  only  a most  scanty  vegetation  of  cacti,  mi- 
mosa,  and  spines.  In  the  middle  of  the  plain  is  a soli- 
tary hill  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  high  — the 
hill  of  Callo  — from  which  this  part  of  the  plain  de- 
rives its  name.  The  hill  is  said  to  have  been  piled  up 
by  human  hands.  The  ancient  inhabitants  of  the 
plain  are  said  to  have  erected  it  as  a shelter  against 
the  eruptions  of  Cotopaxi,  a tradition  which  I .am  not 


ANCIENT  RUINS. 


85 


inclined  to  believe.  Of  the  Paneeillo,  at  the  foot  of 
which  the  city  of  Quito  extends,  the  same  incredulous 
story  is  told. 

Opposite  the  hill,  on  the  other  side  of  the  road,  is  a 
solitary  tree  called  “ El  Arbolde  Callo ,”  overshadowing 
a huge  oblong  rock,  close  to  which  it  grows.  This  rock 
is  said  to  be  the  disguise  of  a gigantic  serpent,  keeping- 
watch  over  a great  treasure  buried  under  the  tree. 
There  is  no  want  of  legends  on  this  sandy,  gloomy, 
lifeless  plain.  A big  rock  on  the  roadside,  with  a 
curved  line  on  its  upper  surface,  in  which  by  dint  of 
great  imaginative  powers  we  may  discover  a slight  re- 
semblance to  the  form  of  a foot  or  shoe,  is  said  to  be 
the  honored  spot  on  which  the  Apostle  St.  Bartholomew 
alighted  when  he  visited  this  country,  leaving  the  im- 
pression of  his  foot  on  the  rock  as  a memorial  to  com- 
ing generations.  It  is  customary  for  the  Indians  and 
arrieros  who  pass  this  place  on  foot,  to  place  a pebble 
or  little  stone  on  the  rock  as  a token  of  their  devotion 
to  the  saint.  Hundreds  of  these  tokens  now  lie 
around  the  rock  on  all  sides. 

Near  the  Cerro  de  Callo,  but  not  visible  from  the 
public  highway,  are  the  ruins  of  an  ancient  Indian 
temple,  palace,  or  tambo.  But  very  little  is  left  of 
them  at  present,  the  unreverential  owners  of  the  ha- 
cienda to  which  they  belong  having . converted  them 
into  a cheap  and  easy  stone-quarry.  Ulloa  in  the  last 
century  saw  them  yet  in  good  condition.  The  ha- 
cienda then  belonged  to  the  Augustine  monks,  whose 
steward  used  the  ruins  as  a mansion  house.  The  friars, 
however,  commenced  the  work  of  destruction  by 
building  dwellings  among  the  ruins,  and  making  alter- 
ations in  the  principal  apartments.  But  now  there  is 
little  more  left  than  a few  walls,  enabling  us  to  admire 

7 o 


86  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


the  extreme  nicety  and  exactness  with  which  the  stones 
are  joined  together.  The  edifice  was  built  of  por- 
phyry, the  stones  having  their  exterior  surface  slightly 
convex,  except  at  the  doors,  where  the  fronts  are 
plain.  The  dimensions  of  the  stones  are  unequal,  a 
small  one  being  immediately  followed  by  a large  one, 
while  that  above  is  made  to  fit  the  inequalities  of  the 
other  two,  and  at  the  same  time  fill  up  all  the  inter- 
stices between  the  projections  and  irregularity  of  their 
faces ; and  this  in  such  perfection  that  whatsoever 
way  they  are  viewed,  all  parts  appear  joined  with 
the  same  exactness.  If  the  work  of  destruction  goes 
on  as  hitherto,  the  last  vestige  of  the  ruins  will  soon 
disappear.  The  barbarity  of  the  Roman  barons  of  the 
Middle  Ages,  who  quarried  among  their  ancient  palaces 
which  the  Hun  and  the  Visigoth  had  spared,  seems 
to  be  destined  to  repetition  as  long  as  monuments  of 
antiquity  remain. 

After  a long  and  tedious  ride  through  the  last  and 
© © 

most  sterile  part  of  the  plain,  relieved  only  by  a near 
view  of  the  smoking  crater  of  Cotopaxi  and  its  craggy 
neighbors  Ruminagui  and  Pasachoa  to  our  right,  and 
the  snowy  crown  of  Ilinisa^to  our  left,  we  begin  a 
steep  ascent  leading  us  to  the  paramo  of  Tiupullo, 
which  in  former  times  was  infested  with  robbers  who 
availed  themselves  of  the  despoblado,1  for  the  purpose 
'of  waylaying  wealthy  travellers.  At  present,  how- 
ever, the  paramo  may  be  passed  without  the  slightest 
apprehension  of  danger. 

One  paramo  commonly  looks  like  another,  and  as 
the  reader  is  already  familiar  with  the  signification  of 
the  word,  it  will  be  unnecessary  to  give  a description 
of  Tiupullo.  I must  say,  however,  that  it  is  infinitely 

1 Despoblado  means  an  uninhabited  part  of  the  country. 


TAMBOS  OF  MACHACHI. 


87 


less  dreary  than  Sanancajas  and  the  other  paramos  of 
Chimborazo.  A solitary  tree  which  attracts  our  atten- 
tion at  a turn  of  the  road  is  called  u El  Excomulgado  ” 
(the  accursed),  because  a priest  is  said  to  have  been 
killed  under  it  by  a gang  of  robbers. 

We  are  now  surrounded  by  mountains  on  all  sides. 
Pichincha  and  Cayambi,  with  their  numerous  retinue 
of  lesser  peaks,  rise  before  us.  But  nearest  of  all  we 
draw  to  Rumihagui.  Ruminagui,  in  the  Quichua  or 
Inca  language,  means  face  or  eye  of  stone.  It  was 
the  name  of  an  ancient  Indian  general  with  whom  the 
reader  will  become  acquainted  in  another  chapter  of 
this  book. 

Descending  from  the  high  paramo  region,  the  beau- 
tiful green  valley  of  Machachi  and  Tambillo  opens  be- 
fore us.  Its  verdure  is  fresher  than  that  of  the  plain 
of  Quito,  or  any  other  part  of  the  high  table-lands. 

It  is  a pleasant  relief  to  the  traveller,  who  has  left  all 
freshness  of  vegetation  on  the  western  side  of  the  Cor- 
dillera.  The  pastures  are  exceedingly  rich,  and  the 
fields  well  cultivated  and  fertile.  Again  we  see  num- 
berless herds  of  cattle  grazing  on  the  slopes  and  in  the 
plains.  The  products  of  the  temperate  zone  continue 
around  us,  in  fields  fenced  in  by  hedges  of  aloe.  This 
pleasant  impression  is  disturbed  only  by  the  disgusting 
sight  of  half-naked  and  loathsome  beggars  cowering 
along  the  roadside,  and  pursuing  the  traveller  in  a 
most  importunate  manner. 

From  Romerillo,  an  hacienda  and  tambo  at  the  foot  . 
of  Tiupullo,  an  hour’s  ride  takes  us  to  the  tambos  of 
Machachi  (9784  feet  above  the  sea),  forming  two 
long  rows  of  miserable  huts  on  both  sides  of  the  main 
road.  These  tambos  are  detestable  hovels,  built  of 
earth,  thatched  with  dried  grasses,  and  without  win- 


88  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


dows  and  floorings.  They  are  notorious  for  their  filth 
and  vermin.  In  one  of  them  I once  passed  a horrible 
night.  I was  literally  lacerated  by  fleas.  Cleanliness 
is  unknown  to  the  inhabitants.  Their  chief  pleasure 
and  passion  is  aguardiente  (rum).  The  nights  at 
Machachi  are  exceedingly  cold,  owing  chiefly  to  the 
near  neighborhood  of  snow-peaks,  among  which  Cora- 
zon  (the  heart)  is  conspicuous. 

Machachi  lies  at  the  foot  of  Mt.  Corazon,  which  is 
16,169  feet  high,  and  was  ascended  and  measured  by 
the  French  academicians  in  the  last  century.  It  looks 
down  on  a beautiful  valley,  destined  by  nature  to  be  a 
home  of  plenty  and  comfort,  but  converted  by  man 
into  a haunt  of  sloth,  filth,  idleness,  poverty,  vice,  and 
ignorance. 

Between  Machachi  and  the  near  village  of  Tambillo 
at  the  foot  of  Mt.  Atacatso  (16,168  feet  high),  were 
several  of  the  worst  passages  of  the  whole  road, 
known  as  the  “ Quebradas  de  Tambillo .”  They  are 

narrow  lanes  or  defiles,  intersected  by  deep  ravines, 
through  which  several  mountain  streams  force  their 
way.  A paved  road  formerly  led  through  those  gul- 
lies ; but  now  the  water  has  broken  the  pavement,  torn 
up  the  stones,  and  washed  heavy  rocks  from  the  hill- 
side, over  which  the  horses  slip  and  stumble.  Fallen 
trees  and  big  roots  obstruct  the  passages ; land-slides 
have  made  the  paths  slippery,  and  bottomless  puddles 
detain  the  traveller  in  the  narrow  lanes,  covered  over- 
head with  a dense  vegetation  which  the  sun  never 
penetrates,  and  exhaling  the  foulest  miasmas.  The 
ascents  and  descents  are  almost  perpendicular.  The 
road  breaks  off  at  many  places,  so  that  the  animal 
must  proceed  by  springs  and  jumps.  In  short,  as  if 
to  take  leave  of  all  that  was  bad  on  the  road,  we  had 


STRENGTH  OF  THE  INDIAN 


89 


it  here  combined  for  a last  break-neck  farewell.  In 
1864,  however,  a road  was  cut  through  these  Quebra- 
das , and  bridges  were  built  over  the  streams. 

Tambillo  is  a little  village  of  about  fifty  houses.  It 
also  has  a casa  posada  (tavern),  the  only  room  of 
Avhich  is  ventilated  solely  when  it  is  opened  for  a trav- 
eller. The  Ecuadorians  are  very  fond  of  keeping  their 
rooms  shut  and  close,  for  the  better  propagation  of 
fleas.  The  room  of  the  posada  was  without  chairs. 
One  high  and  unhandy  table,  two  rickety  bedsteads, 
and  a few  benches  four  inches  wide,  formed  the  furni- 
ture. The  candles  had  to  be  stuck  into  the  walls,  as 
no  candlesticks  were  to  be  had.  The  tavern-keeper 
had  no  cook  of  his  own,  but  sent  for  one  to  a neigh- 
boring house.  The  cook  asked  for  a few  reals  in  ad- 
vance to  make  necessary  purchases.  Dinner,  which  I 
had  ordered  at  half-past  three  o’clock,  was  brought  in 
at  about  seven.  The  cook  brought  it  in  pots,  with 
which  she  squatted  down  on  the  floor,  and  filled  it 
into  the  plates  with  a wooden  spoon. 

And  now  but  little  remains  to  be  told.  The  road 
to  Quito,  which  is  about  five  leagues  from  Tambillo, 
lies  through  rich  pastures  and  fertile  fields,  interspersed 
with  elegant  farm-houses  and  gardens,  and  countless 
Indian  huts  ( huasipongos ).  Numbers  of  Indians  car- 
rying loads  or  driving  laden  beasts,  indicate  our  ap- 
proach to  a great  city.  We  are  surprised  by  the  sight 
of  many  an  Indian  woman,  who  not  only  carries  a load 
on  her  back,  with  a babe  tied  to  the  top  of  the  cargcu 
but  also  spins  cotton  as  she  trots  along.  Other  Indian 
and  Cholo  women  are  seen  riding  astride  their  beasts, 
like  men. 

. The  Indians  carry  every  thing  on  their  back,  the 
load  being  tied  to  their  forehead.  Their  strength  lies 


90  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


in  the  muscles  of  the  neck  and  not  in  their  arms. 
They  carry  stone,  brick,  sand,  lime,  furniture,  vegeta- 
bles, meat,  etc.,  and  pass  along  laughing  or  talking,  or 
in  sullen  silence,  but  you  never  hear  them  sing.  The 
Indian  never  sings  unless  he  is  drunk,  and  then  his 
song  is  an  endless  repetition  of  a few  monotonous 
notes.  He  salutes  you  submissively  as  you  meet  him, 
but  the  white  man  hardly  ever  deigns  to  answer  his 
salutation.  The  laden  Indian  must  make  way  for  the 
traveller  on  horseback.  A terrible  “ lado  ! ” (aside  !) 
notifies  him  to  get  himself  and  his  beasts  out  of  the 
way.  He  salutes  respectfully  and  obeys.  If  he  is 
not  quick  enough,  the  whip  of  the  horseman  hurries 
him  into  compliance.  The  Indian  is  like  an  outlaw, 
at  the  mercy  of  every  body,  and  every  body’s  slave. 
But  his  stupefied  and  beastly  nature  never  revolts. 
He  is  the  personification  of  abjectness,  beastliness,  and 
servility. 

But  we  have  now  reached  the  end  of  our  journey, 
and  passing  the  ruins  of  the  chapel  “ Del  Senor  del  buen 
pasaje ,”  we  enter  the  suburbs  of  Quito  over  an  ele- 
gant bridge  across  the  River  Machangara. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


Altitude  of  Quito.  — Mt.  Pichineha.  — Its  Height.  — The  Crater.  — The 
Peaks  of  Pichineha.  — Eruptions.  — The  French  Academicians.  — Hum- 
boldt, Colonel  Hall,  and  Boussingault. — Dr.  Gabriel  Garcia  Moreno’s 
Three  Descents  to  the  Bottom  of  the  Crater.  — The  Valley  and  Village 
of  Lloa.  — An  American  Artist  in  the  Crater.  — My  Visits  to  it.  — View 
from  the  Summit  of  Pichineha.  — Pumice  stone  — Temperature  — Ap- 
proaches to  Quito.  — Ana-Quito,  the  Battle-Field.  — Turubamba.  — Mt. 
Panecillo. — The  City  viewed  from  the  Surrounding  Hills. — A .Retro- 
spect. 

Quito  is  built  on  what  may  be  termed  a ledge  of 
the  volcanic  mountain  of  Pichineha,  at  an  elevation 
of  9587  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  By  some, 
the  altitude  of  Quito  is  estimated  at  over  10,000  feet, 
but  this  must  be  an  error.  I have  followed  the  meas- 
urement of  Humboldt.  Boussingault  gives  it  at  9525  ; 
Dr.  Jameson,  at  9518  feet.1  The  mountain  rises  in 

1 Dr.  William  Jameson,  here  referred  to,  is  the  well-known  botanist,  whose 
discoveries  in  ornithology  and  botany  have  made  his  name  familiar  to  the 
scientific  world.  He  is  a Scotchman  by  birth,  a graduate  of  the  University 
of  Edinburgh,  and  came  to  Ecuador  about  thirty-seven  years  ago.  He  was 
director  of  the  National  Mint  at  Quito,  and  is  now  Professor  at  the  Univer- 
sity, where  he  lectures  on  chemistry  and  botany.  He  is  a highly  esteemed 
member  of  the  medical  faculty,  and  as  beloved  for  the  qualities  of  his  heart 
as  respected  for  his  mental  acquirements.  He  is  in  continuous  correspond- 
ence with  several  of  the  scientific  societies  of  Great  Britain,  besides  being 
the  friend  and  correspondent  of  such  men  as  the  late  Sir  W.  J.  Hooker, 
director  of  the  Royal  Gardens  of  Kew.  To  Charles  Darwin,  Esq.,  authoi 
of  the  celebrated  work  on  the  Oriyin  of  the  Species,  he  furnished  items  of 
valuable  information.  Several  interesting  Andean  plants  and  birds  which 
Dr.  Jameson  discovered,  have  been  named  after  him,  and  will  hand  down 
his  memory  to  scientific  posterity.  He  has  made  an  interesting  excursion 
into  the  wild  country  on  the  River  Napo,  of  which  he  has  given  to  the 
world  a short  but  graphic  account,  which  was  published  by  the  Royal  Geo- 
graphical Society  of  London.  He  also  is  the  author  of  a Latin  work  on  the 


92  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


the  background  to  a height  of  15,976  feet.  (This, 
too,  is  according  to  Humboldt.  Boussingault's  meas- 
urement  is  15,676 ; that  of  the  French  Academicians, 
15,606  ; Dr.  Jameson’s  is  15,704.)  It  is  crowned  by 
a wall  of  trachytic  rocks  surrounding  the  crater,  the 
depth  of  which  is  2460  feet,  and  consequently  the 
-bottom,  where  a volcanic  agency  is  in  active  opera- 
tion, is  nearly  4000  feet  above  the  level  of  the  city. 
Snow  frequently . falls  on  file  sandy  desert  of  the 
crater,  but  two  or  three  days  of  fine  weather  cause 
its  disappearance,  except  in  some  localities  where  it 
lies  in  patches  sheltered  from  the  rays  of  a vertical 
sun. 

The  summit  of  Pichincha  barely  enters  the  snow 
limit,  for  which  reason  the  congealed  water  does  not 
assume  the  compact  and  crystalline  form  observed  in 
what  is  strictly  called  a glacier.  The  snow  brought 
down  to  the  city  for  the  preparation  of  ice-cream 
has  the  appearance  of  a conglomerate  of  hailstones. 
On  the  eastern  chain  of  the  Cordillera  there  are  sev- 
eral lofty  summits,  capped  with  immense  masses  of 
solid  ice,  reflecting  the  rays  of  the  setting  sun,  and 
presenting  to  the  eye  various  beautiful  prismatic  tints, 
which,  so  soon  as  the  solar  light  is  withdrawn,  assume 
a pure  white  color. 

The  summit  of  Pichincha,  excepting,  perhaps,  the 
highest  points  of  some  gf  the  peaks,  cannot  be  seen 
from  the  city  itself.  It  may,  however,  be  seen  from 

flora  of  Ecuador,  published  in  Latin  by  the  Government  of  that  Republic. 
He  is  not  only  the  friend  and  adviser  of  all  the  foreigners  whom  business  or 
scientific  curiosity  brings  to  Quito,  but  his  kindness  of  heart  and  sterling 
integrity  have  endeared  him  to  all  classes  and  parties  of  the  Ecuadorian 
people.  The  assistance  which  he  rendered  to  me  in  the  collection  of  ma- 
terials for  my  work  was  very  valuable;  but  I am  additionally  indebted  to 
him  for  many  other  acts  of  friendship  and  kindness,  upon  my  arrival  and 
during  my  residence  in  Ecuador,  which  shall  never  be  forgotten. 


MT.  PICHINCHA. 


93 


its  immediate  vicinity.  There  are  three  different 
groups  of  rocky  peaks,  which  constitute  the  crown 
of  the  mountain.  The  one  which  contains  the  cra- 
ter is  called  “ Rucu  Pichincha,”  which,  in  Quichua , 
the  language  of  the  Indians,  means  “ old.”  The 
other,  to  the  northeast  of  Rucu,  is  called  “ Guagua 
Pichincha,”  the  word  guagua  meaning  “ child.”  Be- 
tween the  two,  and  so  as  to  form  a triangle  with  them, 
is  the  lowest,  the  middle  peak,  to  which  no  particular 
name  has  been  given.  Deep  valleys  and  ravines 
separate  the  different  groups.  The  snow,  which  is 
brought  to  Quito,  as  I said,  for  the  purpose  of  making 
ice-cream,  is  taken  from  Guagua  Pichincha. 

The  view  which,  on  a clear  day,  presents  itself  from 
the  summit  of  the  mountain,  is  one  of  the  most  im- 
posing^and  magnificent  perhaps  in  the  whole  world. 
£rfticiers  show  their  hoary  heads  on  all  sides.  Nearly 
twenty,  if  not  more  than  twenty,  snow-clad  moun- 
tains rise  before  you.  Imbabura,  Cotocachi,  Chiles, 
the  grand  Cayambi,  the  majestic  Antisana,  the  ven- 
erable Chimborazo  and  his  neighbor  Caraguairazo, 
Ilinisa,  the  beautiful  Altar,  Tunguragua,  fell  Coto- 
paxi, Sincholagua,  Corazon,  and  a host  of  others,  fill 
your  soul  with  awe  and  admiration.  You  find  your- 
self in  the  midst  of  a council  of  the  great  patriarchs  of 
the  Andes,  and  you  listen  amazed  to  their  speaker, 
Cotopaxi,  who  every  now  and  then  sends  his  roaring- 
thunders  over  the  land. 

Since  the  conquest  of  the  country  by  the  Spaniards, 
Pichincha  has  had  several  eruptions,  of  which  those  in 
15T5,  1587,  and  1660  were  the  most  notable  and  de- 
structive to  Quito.  On  the  14th  of  September,  1575, 
the  municipality  of  Quito  resolved  that  the  memory  of 
the  eighth  of  that  same  month  should  forever  be  r^hg- 


94  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


iously  observed,  as  only  to  the  intercession  of  the  Holy 
Virgin  it  was  ascribed  that  the  eruption  of  Piehincha, 
which  had  taken  place  on  that  day,  did  not  destroy  the 
whole  city.  The  eruption  of  1660  (October  27)  was 
accompanied  by  a fearful  rain  of  cinders.  The  ashes 
are  said  to  have  been  carried  by  the  winds  as  far  as 
Popayan  to  the  north  and  Loja  to  the  south.  The 
volcano  is  now  considered  as  extinct,  although  from 
the  cones  of  eruption  at  the  bottom  of  the  crater 
smoke  and  vapors  are  continually  exhaled.  It  is  even 
said  that  the  mountain’s  volcanic  activity  is  ao;ain  on 
the  increase.  “ In  1845,  the  chimneys  whence  the 
gases  arose,  formed  six  groups,  only  one  of  which  was 
of  somewhat  considerable  size.  Now,  the  vapors  es- 
cape through  innumerable  hollows  and  interstices,  left 
by  the  falling  away  of  the  stones  in  each  of  the  cra- 
ters ; and  in  the  principal  one  a noise  is  heard  similar 
to  that  made  by  the  violent  bubbling  of  boiling  water 
in  an  immense  caldron.”  1 

The  French  Academicians  Bouguer  and  Condamine, 
in  1742,  were  the  first  who  reached  the  brink  of  the 
crater.  Their  Spanish  colleagues,  Ulloa  and  Jorje 
Juan,  had  lived  with  them  in  1787,  for  twenty- 
three  horrid  days,  on  the  rock  which  crowns  Guagua 
Piehincha,  in  order  to  make  their  measurements  ; but 
ljja^expedition  to  the  crater  was  attempted  on  that 


occasion/ 


1 See  a letter  of  Mr.  Gabriel  Garcia  Moreno  to  Dr.  Wm.  Jameson,  dated 
Quito,  January  13,  1858,  and  published  in  the  Edinburgh  Philosophical 
Journal. 

2 Ulloa  has  left  us  a graphic  description  of  the  sufferings  of  the  Acade- 
micians while  encamped  on  the  peak  of  Guagua  Piehincha,  measuring  one  of 
their  triangles.  “ We  generally  kept  within  our  hut;  indeed,  we  were 
obliged  to  do  this,  both  on  account  of  the  intenseness  of  the  cold,  the  violence 
of  the  wind,  and  our  being  often  involved  in  so  thick  a fog  that  an  object 
at.  six  or  eight  paces  was  hardly  discernible.  When  the  fog  cleared  up,  the 


GUAGUA  PICHINCHA. 


95 


Alexander  Humboldt,  in  1802,  twice  surmounted 
the  gigantic  wall  of  tracliytic  rock  which  forms  the 
eastern  verse  of  the  volcano.  About  thirtv  years 
afterward,  Colonel  Hall  and  Boussingault  followed  in 

clouds,  by  their  gravity,  moved  nearer  to  the  surface  of  the  earth,  and  on 
all  sides  surrounded  the  mountain  to  a vast  distance,  representing  the  sea, 
with  our  rock  like  an  island  in  the  centre  of  it But  our  circum- 

stances were  very  different  when  the  clouds  rose;  their  thickness  rendered 
respiration  difficult;  the  snow  and  hail  fell  continually,  and  the  wind  raged 
with  all  its  violence,  so  that  it  was  impossible  to  overcome  the  fears  of 
being,  together  with  our  hut,  blown  down  the  precipice  on  the  edge  of 
which  it  was  built,  or  of  being  buried  uuder  it  by  the  daily  accumulations 
of  ice  and  snow Our  fears  were  also  increased  by  the  dreadful  con- 

cussions of  the  precipice  by  the  fall  of  enormous  fragments  of  rock.  These 
crashes  were  the  more  alarming,  as  no  other  noises  are  heard  in  this  desert. 
....  The  door  of  our  hut  was  fastened  with  thongs  of  leather,  and  on  the 
inside  not  the  smallest  crevice  wras  left  unstopped,  besides  which  it  was 
very  compactly  covered  with  straw;  but,  notwithstanding  all  our  care,  the 

wind  penetrated  through Whenever  it  snowed,  we  had  to  sally  out 

with  shovels,  in  spite  of  the  wind,  to  free  the  roof  of  our  hut  from  the 
masses  of  snow  which  were  gathering  on  it;  nor  would  it,  without  this  pro- 
tection, have  been  able  to  support  the  weight.  We  were  not,  indeed,  with- 
out servants  and  Indians,  but  they  were  so  benumbed  with  the  cold,  that  it 
was  with  great  difficulty  wre  could  get  them  out  of  a small  tent,  where  they 

kept  a continual  fire Our  feet  were  swelled,  and  so  tender  that  we 

could  not  even  bear  the  heat;  our  hands  were  covered  with  chilblains;  our 
lips  swelled  and  chapped,  so  that  every  motion  in  speaking,  or  the  like, 
drew  blood;  consequently  we  were  obliged  to  a strict  taciturnity,  and  but 
little  disposed  to  laugh,  an  extension  of  the  lips  producing  fissures  very 
painful  for  two  or  three  days  together.  Our  common  food  in  this  inhospi- 
table region  wras  a little  rice  boiled  with  some  meat  or  fowl,  which  we  pro- 
cured from  Quito,  and  instead  of  fluid  water,  our  pot  was  filled  with  snow. 
We  had  the  same  resource  with  regard  to  what  we  drank;  and  while  we 
were  eating,  every  one  was  required  to  keep  his  plate  over  a chafing-dish 
of  coals  to  prevent  his  provisions  from  freezing.  Twrenty-three  tedious 
days  we  spent  on  this  rock,  until  it  became  necessary  to  erect  our  signals  in 
a lower  situation,  and  in  a more  favorable  region.  This,  however,  did  not 
produce  any  change  in  our  habitation  till  December,  when,  having  finished 
the  observations  which  particularly  concerned  Pichincha,  we  proceeded  to 
others,  but  with  no  abatement  of  inconvenience,  cold,  or  fatigue, — the  places 
where  we  made  all  our  observations  being  necessarily  on  the  highest  parts 
of  the  desert;  so  that  the  only  respite  in  which  we  enjoyed  some  little  ease, 
was  during  the  short  interval  of  passing  from  one  place  to  another.”  Thirty- 
five  mountains  were  thus  scaled  and  inhabited  by  those  heroes  of  science, 
who  braved  more  sufferings,  dangers,  and  privations,  than  many  a soldier 
in  a bloody  campaign. 


96  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


the  ^ame  path  ; hut  the  first  to  descend  to  its  bottom 
were  Mr.  Gabriel  Garcia  Moreno,  afterwards  President 
of  Ecuador,  and  Mr.  Sebastian  Wisse,  a French  en- 
gineer of  great  scientific  acquirements.1  They  went 
down  twice  ; the  first  time  in  1844,  and  the  second 
time  in  August,  1845.  In  December,  1857,  Mr. 
Moreno  made  a third  descent,  accompanied  by  a son 
of  Dr.  Wm.  Jameson,  but  of  this  last  expedition  he 
has  given  us  no  description. 

The  temperature  of  the  vapors  issuing  from  the 
cones  of  eruption,  varies  much  in  the  different  inter- 
stices from  which  they  arise.  In  the  southeast  crater; 
the  vapors  from  the  highest  crevices,  when  measured 
by  Mr.  Garcia  Moreno,  nearly  reached  180°  Fahr., 
whilst  in  the  lower  ones  the  temperature  was  only 
140°  Fahr.  In  the  principal  crater,  the  hottest  vapors 
did  not  come  up  to  194°  Fahr.,  while  in  the  largest  in- 
terstice Mr.  Moreno  examined,  and  into  which  a per- 
son could  easily  enter  if  the  thick  column  of  vapor 
would  permit,  the  temperature  was  98°  Fahr.,  at  a 
depth  of  little  more  than  one  (French)  metre. 

The  descent  into  the  crater  from  the  summit  of  the 
mountain  is  very  difficult,  not  only  on  account  of  the 
precipitous  rocks  over  which  it  must  be  made,  where 
hands,  to  use  the  language  of  Mr.  Moreno,  are  more 
useful  than  feet,  but  also  on  account  of  the  rocks  and 
sandy  patches  which  give  way  under  one’s  foot,  and 
perhaps  chiefly  on  account  of  the  falling  stones,  which, 
overcoming  the  sandy  support  on  which  they  rest, 
tumble  into  the  abyss  with  a deep  rumbling  noise, 
shivering  at  last  into  a thousand  atoms  like  an  explod- 
ing bombshell,  or  striking  other  rocks  and  carrying 
them  along  with  frightful  impetuosity. 

1 He  died  at  Quito  on  the  7th  of  June,  1 863 


MR.  FARRAND,  THE  ARTIST. 


97 


In  1862,  Mr.  Camillus  Farrand,  an  American  art- 
ist, left  Quito  for  the  purpose  of  descending  into,  and 
taking  photographic  views  of,  the  crater.  The  jour- 
ney from  Quito  to  Rucu  Pichinclia  occupies  but  eight 
hours.  Mr.  Farrand,  however,  remained  absent  for 
more  than  a week,  so  that  I became  alarmed  for  his 
safety,  and  accompanied  by  a son  of  Dr.  Jameson,  the 
same  that  had  accompanied  Mr.  Garcia  Moreno  on  his 
last  descent,  started  for  the  crater  to  ascertain  what 
had  become  of  him.  We  left  Quito  at  about  one 
o’clock  in  the  afternoon,  and  between  four  and  five 
o’clock  we  arrived  at  the  village  of  Lloa,  situated  in 
the  green  and  fertile,  but  nevertheless  thinly  popu- 
lated valley  at  the  very  foot  of  what  is  properly  called 
“ Rucu  Pichincha. ” We  stopped  at  an  hacienda  which 
formerly  belonged  to  the  Jesuits,  but  is  now  in  ruins, 
owing  to  the  earthquake  of  1859.  It  is  10,268  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  sea.  The  mornings,  evenings, 
and  nights  here  are  very  cold.  At  ten  o’clock  at 
night  the  mercury  had  fallen  to  46°  Fahr.  Here  we 
learned  that  Mr.  Farrand  was  safe,  and  had  repeatedly 
sent  down  for  victuals.  He  had  remained  in  the  crater 
for  over  a week,  passing  some  of  the  nights  at  its  very 
bottom,  others  on  the  ledges  near  its  brink.  The 
weather  had  been  very  cloudy ; mists  and  fogs  had 
surrounded  him  almost  continually,  frustrating  the  oh- 
ject  of  his  expedition.  He  hoped,  however,  that  the 
weather  would  clear  up,  and  therefore  waited  with  as- 
tonishing perseverance  amidst  the  horrors  of  Nature’s 
solitude,  and  almost  in  the  bowels  of  a slumbering  vol- 
cano. In  the  mornings,  the  tent  in  which  he  had 
passed  the  night  was  generally  covered  with  snow,  and 
sometimes  to  such  an  extent  that  the  Indians  who  were 
with  him  had  to  sweep  the  snow  from  the  door  on  the 
7 


98  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


outside  before  it  could  be  opened.  Nevertheless,  the 
weather  disappointed  him ; he  had  succeeded  only  in 
taking  a few  partial  views  of  the  inner  declivities,  and 
was  already  on  his  way  home  when  I met  him,  about 
fifteen  hundred  feet  below  the  summit  of  the  moun- 
tain. He  immediately  proposed  to  go  back  with  me, 
insisting  that  I should  not  have  come  so  far  without 
seeing  what,  considering  the  unfavorable  condition  of 
the  weather,  could  be  seen.  It  is  possible  to  reach  the 
brink  of  the  crater  on  horseback  ; but,  to  effect  this, 
the  full  ascent  had  better  not  be  made  on  the  same 
horses.  We  left  our  animals  about  two  hundred  feet 
below  the  crater,  where  the  pumice-stones  commence, 
with  which  the  ground  at  that  distance  is  literally  cov- 
ered. These  stones  render  it  exceedingly  difficult  to 
get  on.  They  are  so  light  that  they  give  way  under 
you,  and  make  you  stumble  and  fall  continually.  This 
inconvenience,  and  the  great  rarefaction  of  air,  which 
powerfully  agitates  the  respiratory  organs,  tired  us  ex- 
ceedingly, so  that  it  took  us  almost  half  an  hour  to 
ascend  these  last  two  hundred  feet.  We  had  to  rest 
every  eight  or  ten  paces,  to  take  breath  and  gather 
new  strength  ; still,  I was  so  exhausted  when  I finally 
reached  the  summit,  that  I nearly  fainted.  Unfortu- 
nately, our  efforts  had  been  made  in  vain.  Thick 
clouds  and  mists  hovered  over  and  in  the  crater,  so 
that  not  even  the  opposite  side  could  be  seen.  It  was 
impossible  to  see  further  ahead  than  about  five  yards. 
A wall  of  snow  rose  on  the  brink  about  four  feet  high, 
and  of  a thickness  of  about  eight  or  ten  feet  at  the 
bottom  and  three  or  four  feet  at  the  top.  This  wall 
appeared  as  regular  as  if  human  skill  had  made  it  with 
the  greatest  care  and  precision.  Mr.  Farrand  had  had 
a hole  cut  through  it,  to  get  the  trunks  containing  his 


SPECIMENS  OF  PLANTS. 


99 


instruments  and  chemicals,  with  less  difficulty  on  the 
inner  side  of  the  crater.  When  I stood  on  the  brink 
I smelled,  but  only  for  a moment,  the  sulphur  in  the 
vapors  arising  from  below.  I soon  became  accustomed 
to  it,  so  that  it  entirely  ceased  to  be  perceptible. 

On  my  third  visit  — I returned  to  the  crater  three 
times  after  my  first  visit  — these  sulphuric  vapors 
were  not  only  very  perceptible,  but  occasionally  even 
oppressive  to  myself  and  .my  companions  ; another  cir- 
cumstance tending  to  show  that  the  volcanic  activity 
of  the  mountain  is  again  increasing. 

On  the  inner  declivity  of  the  crater,  we  were  per- 
fectly well  protected  against  the  strong  east  wind 
which  had  troubled  us  so  much  during  (Air  ascent ; 
and  while  we  lay  tired  and  sprawling  on  some  large 
and  smooth  rocks  imbedded  in  the  sand,  the  almost 
perpendicular  rays  of  the  sun  were  burning  down  upon 
us  in  a manner  which  almost  made  us  forget  in 
what  altitude  we  were.  The  difference  of  the  tem- 
perature between  the  inner  and  the  outer  side  of  the 
brink  is  really  astonishing.  ( )n  my  third  visit  to  the 
crater,  the  mercury  showed,  at  ten  o’clock,  a.  m.,  the 
day  being  sunny,  but  38°  Falir.  on  the  outside  ; while, 
at  the  same  elevation  on  the  inside,  it  rose  to  58°, 
which  is  but  two  degrees  less  than  the  mean  tempera- 
ture of  Quito. 

There  is  no  vegetation  around  the  brink  of  the 
crater,  but  Mr.  Farrand  had  brought  up  a collection 
of  plants  from  the  bottom,  which  Dr.  Jameson  after- 
ward classified  and  prepared  for  him.  They  were  the 
same  species  which  Mr.  Moreno  had  found  there  in 
1857.  Among  the  pumice-stones  above  referred  to, 
I found  several  specimens  of  Frailejon , the  Ccilcitium 
rufescens  of  Humboldt  and  Bonpland,  a plant  which 


occurs  on  almost  all  the  snowy  ridges  of  the  Ecua- 
dorian Andes.1  I also  saw  a curious  flower  which  the 
natives  call  “ chuguiragua ,”  and  which  is  peculiar  to 
those  altitudes.2  It  has  a very  bitter  taste,  and  is  said 
to  be  a remedy  against  indigestion. 

There  are  but  three  approaches  leading  to  the  city 
of  Quito  — one  from  the  north  and  two  from  the  south. 
On  the  east  and  west  it  is  hemmed  in  by  the  powerful 
mountain  family  of  Pichinclia ; but  north  and  south  of 
it  extends  that  interesting  plain  known  to  geographers 
as  the  high  plateau,  or  table-land  of  Quito.  The  plain 
-trT'fhe  northern  entrance  of  the  city  is  called  “ Ana- 
Quito.”  It  was  the  scene  of  the  battle  fought  on  the 
18th  of  January,  1546,  between  Gonzalo  Pizarro  and 
Blasco  Nunez  Vela,  the  first  Viceroy  of  Peru,  in 
which  the  latter  was  defeated  and  slain.  The  plain  to 
the  south  is  called  “ Turubamba.”  A traveller  ap- 
proaching the  city  from  any  of  the  above-mentioned 
roads,  can  only  see  a part  of  it ; an  isolated  mountain 
called  “ Paneeillo,”  rising  about  TOO  feet  above  the 
town  (10,268  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea),  covering 
it  on  the  south,  and  ridges  coming  down  from  the  ele- 
vations  east  and  west  closing  around  it  on  the  north. 
Disappointment,  therefore,  is  the  first  sensation  of  the 
curious  traveller.  Nevertheless,  the  city  is  not  a small 
one,  and  viewed  from  one  of  the  surrounding  hills,  the 

1 “ On  the  mountains  beyond  the  River  Chota,  there  is  another  plant  to 
which  the  same  name  is  applied.  It  is  the  Fspletia  grandiflora  of  Hum- 
boldt and  Bonpland,  and  3’ields,  by  incision,  a resinous  substance,  used  ex- 
ternally to  relieve  rheumatic  pains,  and  known  by  the  name  of  resina  de 
frailejon.  Like  the  former  plant,  it  is  enveloped  in  wool,  the  color  of 
which  approaches  to  yellow.  It  makes  a comfortable  bed  for  the  traveller 
who  happens  to  be  benighted  on  the  lofty  region  where  it  grows.  Both 
species  grow  on  the  volcano  of  Pasto,  the  former,  however,  reaching  the 
highei  elevation.”  — From  Dr.  Jameson’s  Manuscript  Notes. 

2 Chuguiragua  insignis. 


COLONIAL  IIISTOKY  OF  QUITO. 


101 


slopes  of  which  it  covers,  it  presents  rather  an  exten- 
sive and  interesting  appearance,  full  of  significant  sug- 
gestions to  a reflective  mind.  There  it  lies  at  your 
feet,  buried  as  it  were  between  treeless  and  melan- 
choly mountains,  showing  but  now  and  then  a spot 
indicative  of  cultivation  ; isolated  from  the  rest  of  the 
world  by  impassable  roads  and  gigantic  Cordilleras. 
No  chimneys  overtop  its  browny  roofs ; no  friendly 
cloud  of  smoke  curls  to  the  unruffled  sky  ; no  rattling 
of  wagons,  no  din  of  machinery  strikes  your  ear ; no 
busy  hum  emerges  from  the  capital  of  the  Republic. 
The  only  noises  which  ascend  from  the  caldron  in 
which  it  lies,  are  the  ringing  of  church-bells,  the  crow 
of  the  cock,  or  the  drums  and  trumpets  of  the  soldiery. 

The  lifeless  and  almost  melancholy  aspect  which  the 
town  presents  from  any  of  the  surrounding  elevations,  is 
a true  image  of  its  lifeless  colonial  history,  the  character 
of  which,  firmly  impressed  as  it  is  upon  the  commercial 
and  industrial  relations  and  customs  of  the  interior,  the 
almost  endless  convulsions  and  revolutions  which  fol- 
lowed the  establishment  of  independence  could  not 
serve  to  destroy.  The  dull,  gloomy,  and  spiritless 
character  of  that  period  is  so  graphically  and  forcibly 
described  by  Villavicencio  in  his  Geography  of 
Ecuador,”  that  I cannot  deny  myself  the  pleasure  of 
translating  the  passage  in  question  : — 

“ The  foundation  of  the  Presidency  of  Quito  (see 
pages  8 and  9 of  the  work  referred  to)  is  followed  by 
a cold  and  monotonous  colonial  period  of  275  years. 
It  was  scarcely  interrupted  by  some  faint  commotions 
attempted  since  1766,  by  the  conquered  aborigines, 
which  were  promptly  and  easily  suppressed.  If  we 
examine  Ecuadorian  society  of  those  times,  Ave  find  it 
tranquil,  passive,  patriarchal,  as  it  were,  but  reduced 


102  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH— AMERICANS. 


to  itself,  without  knowledge,  without  communication, 
without  life.  The  great  majority  of  the  people  knew 
nothing  of  sciences,  of  events,  or  of  men,  and  probably 
did  not  imagine  that  there  were  sciences,  events,  and 
men  deserving  to  be  known.  Their  religion  consisted 
of  outward  observances  and  an  imperfect  knowledge  of 
the  Papal  bulls ; their  morality,  in  asceticism  and  de- 
votion to  their  king  ; their  history,  in  the  history  of  the 
mother-country ; their  geography,  in  the  maps  of  Span- 
ish- America  and  of  Spain  ; their  press,  in  what  sufficed 
to  print  bill-heads  and  blank  forms ; their  commerce, 
in  an  insignificant  coasting  trade ; their  ambition  and 
highest  aspirations,  in  titles  of  nobility ; their  amuse- 
ments, in  bull-fights.  The  arrival  of  a mail  was 
an  event  of  great  moment,  and  with  ringing  of  bells 
was  received  the  4 cajon  de  Esparto,,'  which  announced 
the  health  of  the  sovereigns.  Thus,  while  Europe 
was  passing  through  the  stormy  times  of  Louis  XIV.  ; 
while  the  philosophical  writings  of  the  illustrious  men 
of  those  times  found  their  way  into  the  remotest  cor- 
ners of  the  globe  ; while  the  English  colonies  of  North 
America  conquered  their  independence ; while  the 
Old  World  was  drenched  in  blood  to  propagate  the 
ideas  which  the  French  Revolution  had  proclaimed ; 
the  Presidency  of  Quito,  walled  in  by  its  immense 
Cordilleras  and  the  ocean,  and  ruled  by*monkisli  ig- 
norance and  bigotrv,  knew  as  little  of  men  and  events 
as  we  now  know  of  men  and  events  in  the  moon.” 

Idle  churches  and  convents,  which  occupy,  to  be 
moderate,  at  least  one  fourth  of  the  area  of  Quito,  are 
witnesses,  eloquent  in  their  silence,  to  the  justice  of 
Mr.  Villavicencio’s  historical  criticism.  More  than 
one  fourth  of  the  town  is  covered  by  convents  and 
their  vast  but  neglected  pateos  (court-yards)  and  un- 


QUITO. 


103 


weeded  gardens.  If  but  one  tenth  of  the  millions 
which  it  cost  to  build  these  churches  and  monasteries 
— not  to  speak  of  the  thousands  of  Indians  who  per- 
ished while  being  whipped  to  the  unwonted  task  of 
carrying  on  their  trembling  backs  block  after  block 
of  these  edifices  — had  been  applied  to  the  building 
of  roads,  this  country  would  long  since  have  taken 
its  rank  among  civilized  nations. 

Still,  it  must  be  a matter  of  surprise  to  the  traveller, 
after  passing  through  primeval  forests,  crossing  bridge- 
less rivers,  floundering  over  bottomless  roads,  and  as- 
cending and  descending  immense  mountains,  to  find  a 
city  with  imposing  public  buildings,  elegant  private 
residences,  and  a luxury-loving  aristocracy,  in  this 
almost  inaccessible  and  forgotten  corner  of  the  world. 

But  it  is  time  to  effect  our  entrance. 


CHAPTER  VII. 


Quito.  — Appearance  of  the  City.  — Crowds  in  the  Streets.  — Streets  and 
Houses. — Queer  Mode  of  Cooking. — Want  of  Hotels.  — A Curate’s 
Idea  of  the  Obligation  of  Promises.  — Traits  of  Native  Character. — 
Want  of  Cleanliness.  — Incidents.  — Excellent  Climate.  — Mean  Tem- 
perature.— No  Diseases  or  Insects.  — The  Rainy  Season.  — Fruits  and 
Flowers.  — Earth’s  Paradise. 

Viewed  from  a distance,  or  from  one  of  the  sur- 
rounding hills,  Quito  resembles  one  of  those*,  spell- 
1, ound  towns  in  the  Arabian  Nights,  so  impressively 
described  by  the  ingenious  Scheherezade.  But,  as  soon 
as  we  enter  it,  it  presents  a most  lively  appearance. 
On  the  principal  streets  and  plazas  hundreds  of  human 
beings  are  continually  in  motion.  It  is  true,  they  are 
chiefly  Indians  and  Cholos , and  you  will  meet  twenty 
persons  in  ponchos  and  even  in  rags,  barefoot  or 
with  alpargates  (hemp-sandals),  before  you  meet  one 
respectably  dressed.  But,  nevertheless,  the  motley 
crowds  of  men  in  ponchos  of  all  colors,  beggars  in 
rags,  vagrants  in  sackcloth,  women  with  red,  green, 
brown,  or  blue  pahuelones  and  rebozos , ladies  with  gay- 
colored  silk  shawls,  monks  with  their  immense  hats, 
monks  in  white,  monks  in  brown,  monks  in  blue,  and 
canons  and  curates  in  black,  and  Indians  of  a hundred 
different  villages  in  every  variety  of  costume,  not  even 
omitting  the  naked  and  painted  Indian  from  the  wil- 
derness on  the  eastern  side  of  the  Cordillera,  — pre- 
sent a most  lively  and  interesting  spectacle.  There 
are  but  few  carts  in  use,  as  I have  already  said ; never- 


APPEARANCE  OF  THE  CITY  OF  QUITO. 


105 


theless,  the  streets  are  thronged  from  morning  to  even- 
ing with  mules,  horses,  oxen,  donkeys,  and  llamas  with 
loads  (cargos)  of  every  kind  and  description.  Indians, 
men  and  women,  with  loads  on  their  backs,  limp  to 
and  fro ; soldiers  in  queer  clown-caps  and  with  or  with- 
out shoes,  lazily  saunter  through ‘the  crowds;  groups 
of  merchants  and  their  friends  chat  in  front  of  their 
tiendas  (stores)  ; chagras  (country-people)  on  horse- 
back dash  through  the  streets  ; ladies  will  meet  their 
lady  friends  and  embrace  and  hug  them,  obstructing 
the  narrow  sidewalks ; water-carriers  with  immense 
jars  on  their  backs,  butchers  or  bakers  with  meat  or 
bread  in  troughs  on  their  heads,  wend  their  way  to  the 
houses  of  their  customers ; children  and  dogs  run  about 
in  all  directions ; mule-drivers  swear  at  their  beasts ; 
parrots  chatter  in  the  groceries  and  greenshops  ; in 
short,  the  life  within  the  city  favorably  contrasts  with 
its  melancholy  aspect  from  without. 

The  city  is  traversed  from  west  to  east  by  two  deep 
ravines  ( quebradas ),  through  which  Pichincha  sends 
down  its  torrents  of  melted  snow.  These  quebradas 
are  mostly  covered  with  vaults  and  arches  on  which 
the  houses  rest,  but  where  they  are  open,  they  dis- 
close to  the  eye  hideous  abysses,  the  sides  of  which 
are  overgrown  with  rank  weeds.  The  territory  over 
which  the  city  extends  being  exceedingly  uneven,  as 
the  slopes  and  spurs  of  the  surrounding  hills  press 
down  toward  the  Plaza  Mayor  from  three  different 
sides,  a walk  through  Quito  consists  of  continuous  as- 
cents and  descents.  The  course  of  the  streets,  how- 
ever, is  generally  regular,  those  running  from  east  to 
west  being  intersected  at  right  angles  by  others  run- 
ning from  north  to  south.  The  gutters  and  sewers 
were  formerly  in  the  centre  of  the  streets  forming  rivu- 


106  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


lets,  through  which  the  water  was  let  down  two  or 
three  times  in  twenty-four  hours  for  purposes  of  pub- 
lic cleanliness ; but  in  1863  the  municipality  entered 
upon  an  extensive  system  of  re-paving ; and  the  prin- 
cipal streets  are  now  paved  in  modern  style.  The 
streets  are  not  very*  wide  ; the  sidewalks  are  exceed- 
ingly  narrow.  The  houses  are  built  mostly  in  the 
old  Spanish  or  rather  Moorish  style,  with  the  roofs 
projecting  over  the  pavements  so  as  to  afford  a partial 
protection  against  the  frequent  rains.  There  are  but 
two  or  three  buildings  in  Quito  with  two  upper  stories. 
Most  of  the  houses  have  only  one.  Low  and  filthy 
houses  of  but  a ground-floor  are  found  in  great  num- 
bers, but  only  in  the  outskirts  and  suburbs. 

The  houses  are  generally  built  of  adobe  (sun-baked 
brick).  The  walls  are  exceedingly  thick,  forming 
deep  embrasures  for  doors  and  windows.  There  are, 
strictly  speaking,  no  windows,  but  glass  doors  leading 
to  balconies  overhanging  the  sidewalks.  The  roofs 
are  covered  with  curved  tiles  of  earthenware  ; two 
rows  are  first  placed,  the  concave  side  upwards,  the 
joint  being  covered  with  a third  row  reversed,  so  as  to 
form  channels  for  the  water  to  flow  off,  which,  from 
the  main  gutter,  is  thrown  into  the  streets  and  court- 
yards by  a number  of  projecting  spouts.  These  pre- 
cautions are  necessary  on  account  of  the  heaviness  and 
long  duration  of  the  showers  in  the  rainy  season.  - The 
upper  story  is  the  dwelling  part  of  a respectable  house. 
The  ground-floor  (parterre)  is  occupied  by  the  servants, 
or  tenanted  by  poor  people  who  cannot  afford  to  pay 
high  rents.  The  stores  in  front  have  no  backdoors, 
and  do  not  communicate  with  the  interior  of  the  houses 
to  which  they  belong.  They  have  no  windows,  and 
generally  but  one  door,  which  must  serve  as  entrance, 


QUEER  MODE  OF  COOKING. 


107 


window,  show-case,  and  all.  There  are  but  very 
few  shops  in  Quito  which  have  two  doors.  The  stores 
consequently  are  but  small ; five  or  six  customers, 
especially  of  the  crinoline  gender,  will  fill  them  com- 
pletely. These  stores  are  called  tiendas , and  are 
closed  at  early  candle-light.  They  are  naturally  dark, 
and  most  of  the  business  is  done  at  or  near  the  door. 
The  houses  have  neither  fire-places  nor  chimneys,  ex- 
cept in  a few  buildings  of  modern  construction.  The 
want  of  fire-places  is  sometimes  severely  felt.  The 
smoke  arising  from  kitchen  fires  must  make  its  way 
out  of  the  kitchen  door,  and  a few  apertures  above 
it.  Kitchens,  therefore,  are  black  and  dark ; and 
as  almost  nothing  but  charcoal  is  used  for  cooking, 
they  are  noisome  and  uncomfortable.  Stoves  are  not 
known.  There  being  no  flues  connected  with  the 
hearths,  cooking  is  quite  a task,  and  the  cook  needs 
one,  two,  or  more,  subordinates  to  fan  the  fires  ; to 
almost  every  pot  a separate  fire,  and  to  two  fires,  one 
individual  to  fan  them.  Servants,  however,  are  very 
cheap,  although  unreliable  and  lazy ; but  of  this  here- 
after. The  pots  used  for  cooking  have  not  a flat  bot- 
tom like  ours,  but  are  pointed  below,  so  that  they 
cannot  stand  without  being  supported  by  some  contri- 
vance, or  inserted  into  the  holes  which  the  hearth 
contains  on  purpose.  The  large  jars  in  which  water 
is  carried  have  the  same  impracticable  shape.  They 
are  put  on  wooden  trestles,  or  into  holes  in  a stone 
bench  opposite  or  at  the  side  of  the  hearth.  The  cook 
generally  brings  his  family  with  him,  allowing  his  dirty 
children  to  romp  about  the  kitchen.  A female  cook 
will  do  her  work  with  the  baby  tied  on  to  her  back,  or 
deposited  by  her  side  on  the  kitchen  table.  Hair  in 
the  meals -is  of  frequent  occurrence,  without  reference 


108  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


to  an  occasional  flea,  or  a lot  of  vine-fretters,  which 
have  communicated  themselves  to  the  soup  from  the 
unwashed  vegetables. 

Most  of  the  houses  have  one  or  two  spacious  square 
court-yards  paved  and  with  drains.  In  the  second, 
there  is  generally  a covered  place  for  horses,  which  is 
paved  also.  The  stables  of  this  country  never  have 
boards. 

The  street  entrance  is  always  high  enough  to  admit 
a horseman  with  ease.  In  the  upper  story  there  is 
always  a gallery  resting  on  arches  or  pillars,  and  lead- 
ing around  the  court-yard.  All  the  rooms  and  galleries 
are  floored  with  square  tiles  or  bricks,  on  which  mats 
or  carpets  are  laid.  The  chinks  between  the  bricks 
serve  as  hiding-places  for  swarms  of  fleas,  particularly 
troublesome  after  a room  has  remained  shut  up  and 
uninhabited  for  some  time ; in  which  case  it  is  not  un- 
common, especially  on  hacienda*  in  the  country,  to  drive 
a sheep  through  it  first,  in  order  to  take  up  as  many 
fleas  as  possible.  The  rooms,  with  the  exception  of 
the  parlors,  or  salas , are  generally  but  very  indiffer- 
ently furnished,  with  an  incongruous  mixture  of  an- 
tique and  modern  pieces,  and  kept  in  a pitiable  state 
of  uncleanliness,  disorder,  and  confusion. 

The  first  inconvenience  which  vexes  the  traveller  on 
his  arrival,  is  the  entire  want  of  hotels.  There  is  not 
a tavern  or  inn  at  Quito,  at  which  a respectable  person 
could  stop.  The  only  cam  posada  which  existed  when 
I arrived,  was  not  fit  to  be  entered.  Black,  dirty,  and 
neglected,  with  but  a few  dusty  rooms,  full  of  fleas, 
and  perhaps  other  vermin,  and  without  accommoda- 
tions of  any  kind,  the  traveller  who  is  forced  into  it 
acquires  a valid  claim  to  our  commiseration,  in  spite 
of  the  image  of  the  saint  in  the  entrance,  before  which 


OBLIGATION  OF  PROMISES. 


109 


tallow  candles  are  kept  burning  almost  all  the  year 
round.  Private  hospitality  will  have  to  be  resorted  to, 
at  least  until  rooms  can  be  rented.1 

I was  rather  lucky  in  making  the  journey  from 
Guayaquil  with  a resident  of  Quito,  who  had  the  kind- 
ness to  make  me  tarry  one  day  at  Ambato,  to  enable 
him  to  go  ahead  and  find  a house  for  me,  which  he 
did,  to  the  great  astonishment  of  a native  cura  (cu- 
rate), who  never  expected  that  one  of  his  countrymen 
should  keep  a promise  which  he  (the  curate)  con- 
sidered to  be  a mere  form  of  politeness.  The  curate 
himself  seemed  to  have  no  idea  of  the  honorable  obli- 
gation of  promises  ; nor  did  he  seem  to  understand 
that  a lie,  in  such  cases,  would  be  ungen tlemanlv 
or  immoral.  I met  him  at  Machachi,  where  he  had 
awaited  me,  to  make  my  acquaintance.  The  officer 
who  accompanied  me  told  him  that  my  mule  was  very 
tired,  and  suggested  that  he,  as  the  curate  of  Macha- 
chi, would  have  no  difficulty  in  procuring  a horse  for 
me.  With  usual  Spanish  politeness,  his  worship  at 
once  offered  his  own  horse,  and  promised  to  send  it 
to  Tambillo,  where  I proposed  to  remain  over  night. 
Relying  on  his  promise,  I made  no  further  effort  to 
procure  another  beast  ; but  to  my  great  disappoint- 
ment, when  I had  arrived  at  Tambillo,  which  is  the 
last  station  before  Quito,  the  horse  arrived,  but  with 
the  curate  on  it,  who  proposed  to  accompany  me  to 
Quito.  Taken  to  task  why  he  had  not  sent  the  horse 

1 kl  Houses,  completely  furnished,  with  looking-glasses,  carpets,  lamps, 
etc.,  may  be  hired  in  Quito;  and  a very  good  one,  with  nine  or  ten  rooms, 
may  be  had  for  fifty  dollars  a month  — a very  low  price  indeed,  when  the 
expense  is  considered,  which  must  be  incurred  in  transporting  these  things 
across  the  Cordilleras.”  — Ida  Pfeiffer,  A Laly's  Second  Voyage  Round 
the  World,  vol-  i.,  p.  215.  Fifty  dollars  a month  for  a dwelling-house  is 
rather  a price  for  foreigners.  Natives  seldom  pay  more  than  from  twenty 
to  forty  dollars. 


110  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH— AMERICANS. 


as  promised,  lie  made  the  excuse  that  he  had  brought 
another  horse  along  with  him  for  a part  of  the  way ; 
hut  overtaking  one  of  my  arrieros , he  was  told  that  I 
had  procured  a beast  already,  and  so  he  sent  back  the 
one  he  had  brought  along,  and  came  on  alone  to  have 
the  pleasure  of  travelling  to  Quito  in  my  company. 
This  excuse  was  as  false  as  ridiculous.  Upon  asking 
the  arriero , I ascertained  at  once  that  the  priest  had 
not  spoken  to  him  on  the  road,  and  that  he  had  no 
horse  but  the  one  he  rode.  The  fact  is,  that  his  wor- 
ship never  thought  of  complying  with  the  promise  on 
which  his  officious  assurances  had  induced  me  to  rely ; 
and  he  probably  was  inwardly  amused  that  I should 
have  looked  upon  it  in  any  other  light  than  that  of  a 
mere  fagon  de  parler . This  custom  of  making  high- 
sounding  promises,  which  are  not  intended  to  be  kept, 
is  universal  among  Ecuadorians  of  the  Sierra.  If  you 
make  the  acquaintance  of  one  of  them,  he  will  over- 
whelm you  with  offers  of  his  services.  He  will  be- 
seech you  to  44  count  him  as  one  of  the  number  of 
your  friends  ” ( 4t  Usted  me  puede  contar  en  el  numero  de 
sus  amigos  ”)  ; he  will  place  his  house,  his  haciendas,  his 
horses,  at  your  disposal ; he  will  ask  you  to  treat  him 
confidentially,  and  to  speak  to  him  frankly,  whenever 
you  should  need  any  thing  that  he  can  supply ; he  will 
protest  his  ardent  desire  to  be  your  friend  and  to  serve 
you  in  every  possible  manner;  he  will  modestly  add 
that  unfortunately  his  friendship  may  not  be  worth 
much  ( 44  yo  valgo  mug  poco ; soy  mug  inutil etc., 
etc.),  and  his  influence  limited,  but  that  he  may, 
nevertheless,  find  an  opportunity  of  being  useful  to 
you  in  some  way,  in  which  case  he  begs  you  to  rely 
on  him  and  to  apply  to  him  without  reserve.  All 
these  protestations,  which  sound  very  bad  in  English, 


TRAITS  OF  NATIVE  CHARACTER. 


Ill 


out  which  are  delivered  by  our  Spanish  neighbors  with 
great  eloquence  and  in  the  choicest  language,  are  mere 
conversational  phrases,  which,  from  their  earliest  child- 
hood, they  are  taught  to  repeat  on  every  suitable  occa- 
sion. Should  you  really  apply  to  them  for  any  of  the 
services  so  pompously  proffered,  you  must  expect,  as  a 
general  rule,  that  they  will  find  a well-sounding  ex- 
cuse for  refusing.  They  must  not  be  too  rigidly  ex- 
pected to  keep  a promise  when  it  is  inconvenient  to 
keep  it,  or  when  it  is  more  advantageous  to  break 
it.  Good  faith  is  often  wanting,  especially  in  money 
transactions.  They  lack  business  habits,  especially 
in  the  interior  of  Ecuador,  where  there  is  but  little 
commerce.  It  is  very  difficult  to  induce  them  to  do  a 
thing  promptly,  thoroughly,  and  at  once.  They  are 
full  of  delays  and  procrastinations.1  But  they  are  ex- 

1 The  lamented  Colonel  Francis  Hall,  who  lost  his  life  in  Quito  on  the 
night  of  the  19th  of  October,  1833,  during  one  of  the  many  revolutions 
which  have  distracted  that  country  ever  since  the  establishment  of  its  in- 
dependence, comments  on  the  character  of  Colombians  in  the  following 
manner:  “ Long  habits  of  slavery  and  oppression,  partly  counteracted  by  a 
feverish  interval  of  liberty,  ill  understood  and  imperfectly  enjoyed;  the  al- 
most total  want  of  education,  and  absence  of  that  moral  stimulus,  which, 
under  the  name  of  honor  or  character,  forces  every  respectable  individual 
of  European  society  to  a line  of  conduct  conformable  with  his  situation ; all 
these  circumstances  have  produced  a negativeness  or  debility,  both  in 
thought  and  action,  which  renders  them  troublesome  to  deal  with,  and 
unfit  to  be  relied  on.  It  is,  in  fact,  impossible  to  calculate  their  behavior, 
except  you  could  be  certain  of  the  last  idea  which  has  occupied  their  im- 
agination, for  the  feeling  of  interest  most  immediately  present  is  pretty  gen- 
erally decisive  of  their  conduct.  Does  a merchant  contract  with  a planter 
for  a quantity  of  coffee  or  cacao  at  a certain  rate:  in  vain  would  he  suppose 
the  bargain  concluded  should  another  purchaser  appear,  and  offer  the 
slightest  advantage  of  price.  The  readiness  with  which  they  break  a prom- 
ise or  an  agreement,  can  only  be  equaled  by  the  sophistical  ingenuity 
with  which  they  defend  themselves  for  having  done  so.  In  this  respect 
they  seem  a nation  of  lawyers,  who  ki  with  ease  twist  words  and  meanings 
as  they  please.  As  the  reproach  of  being  a liar  is  the  last  insult  which  can 
be  offered  or  endured  among  freemen,  so  is  the  term  lie  the  last  to  be  used 
in  decent  conversation ; here,  on  the  contrary,  not  only  is  the  expression  a 
good  one , and  adapted  to  the  meridians  of  genteelest  society,  but  the  re- 


112  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


ceedmgly  good-natured,  pleasant,  and  courteous.  They 
are  hospitable  to  a fault.  When  a respectable  stranger 
arrives,  they  will  overwhelm  him  with  kindness  and  at- 
tentions, especially  when  he  presents  letters  of  intro- 
duction. I received  presents  of  sweetmeats,  preserves, 
venison,  cakes,  pastry,  milk,  butter,  and  cheese,  al- 
most continually.  Many  a time  I received  presents 
from  ladies,  even  before  I had  made  their  acquaint- 
ance. These  presents  are  delivered  by  servants,  to- 
gether with  a kind  message  from  the  giver.  The 
politeness  of  the  natives  is  indeed  pleasing ; they  never 
show  the  slightest  rudeness,  and  treat  even  their  ene- 
^»ies  with  distinguished  civility.  Their  manners  are 
exceedingly  amiable  and  cordial,  and  at  the  same 
ti  n1  dignified.  Their  language  is  elegant,  and  al- 

r"  o o o 7 

wavs  obliging. 

Let  us  now  return  to  our  subject.  There  is  another 
want  still  more  embarrassing  in  Quito  than  the  want 
of  hotels : it  is  the  want  of  water-closets  and  privies, 
which  are  not  considered  as  necessary  fixtures  of  pri- 
vate residences.  This  inconvenience  has  undoubtedly 
contributed  a great  deal  to  make  Quito  what  it  is  — 
one  of  the  filthiest  capitals  in  Christendom.  Men, 
women,  and  children,  of  all  ages  and  colors,  may  be 
seen  in  the  middle  of  the  street  in  broad  davlight,  mak- 
mg  privies  of  the  most  public  thoroughfares  ; and  while 

proach  of  being  a liar  may  be  safely  cast  on  friend  or  foe  with  as  little 
offense  given  or  taken,  as  the  term  ‘ rake  ’ or  ‘ prodigal  ’ would  cause  in 
a fashionable  London  circle.  It  is,  indeed,,  a truth  worth  a ‘ thousand 
homilies  ’ in  defense  of  liberty,  that  without  it  there  can  be  no  virtue. 
The  most  pleasing  trait  in  the  character  of  Colombian  Creoles  is  their 
good-nature.  It  is  easy  to  live  with  them  if  you  require  but  little  of  them ; 
they  have  little  or  no  active  benevolence,  because  such  must  result  from 
strong  powers  of  imagination  and  reflection.” — Colombia:  Its  Present 
State  and  Inducements  to  Emigration,  by  Colonel  Francis  Hall:  Philadel- 
phia, 1825. 


WANT  OF  CLEANLINESS. 


113 


tlius  engaged,  they  will  stare  into  the  faces  of  passers- 
by  with  a shamelessness  that  beggars  description.  By- 
streets, especially,  are  made  noisome,  and  sometimes 
impassable,  by  this  detestable  practice.  I know  that 
these  statements  will  offend  the  delicacy  of  my  readers, 
but  I would  leave  one  of  the  characteristic  features  of 
Quito  unnoticed,  were  I to  omit  them.  Accustomed 
as  we  are  at  home  to  the  utmost  cleanliness,  it  is  a 
difficult  task  to  convey  to  the  minds  of  an  American 
public  an  adequate  idea  of  Ecuadorian  filthiness.  You 
may  enter  the  most  elegant  and  fashionable  parlors, 
and  the  dust  on  tables,  chairs,  and  sofas  will,  in  many 
cases,  be  thick  enough  legibly  to  write  your  name  on 
the  furniture  it  covers.  And  yet  parlors  are  generally 
kept  with  greater  and  better  care  than  other  apart- 
ments. In  the  latter,  you  may  discover  innumerable 
cobwebs  of  venerable  acre,  amidst  clouds  of  dust  cov- 
ering  the  walls  and  ceilings,  and  the  incongruent  mixt- 

cD  O 7 O 

ure  of  all  possible  styles  of  furniture. 

Strong  prejudices  are  entertained  by  the  natives 
against  the  use  of  cold  water.  On  one  occasion,  a 
gentleman  at  Ambato,  who  saw  me  wash  my  face, 
asked  me,  with  great  curiosity,  whether  I did  so  every 
day  ! In  the  country,  it  is  generally  believed  that 
washing  one’s  face  with  cold  water  will  produce  swell- 
ing, fever,  or  rheumatism.  The  women,  as  a general 
thing,  are  cleanlier  than  the  men  ; but  of  the  latter  1 
have  known  many,  of  respectable  families,  who  but 
very  seldom  washed  their  faces  in  the  morning.  We 
need  not,  therefore,  be  surprised  at  seeing  the  Indians 
bring  their  vegetables  to  market  bundled  up  in  the 
same  lousy  rebozos  and  ponchos  with  which  they  cover 
their  unwashed  limbs  at  night.  A few  incidents, 
which  to  many  of  my  readers  will  appear  incredible, 


114  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


may  be  mentioned  in  this  connection.  I had  once 
ordered  some  flour  made  of  yuca,  which,  for  culinary 
uses,  is  preferable  to  the  coarse  flour  of  wheat,  as 
ground  in  the  primitive  mills  of  the  interior  ; but  I 
urged  upon  the  woman  who  had  undertaken  to  fur- 
nish it,  to  keep  it  clean.  She  brought  it  at  last,  but 
tied  up  in  a man’s  shirt,  spotted  with  flea  marks.  Of 
course,  woman,  yuca-flour,  and  shirt,  received  a very 
short  but  most  emphatic  notice  to  quit  my  premises. 
On  another  occasion,  I had  arrived  at  Ambato  late  in 
the  evening,  and,  disinclined  to  take  any  refreshments 
myself,  I asked  my  page  (body-servant)  whether  he 
wanted  to  take  any  thing?  He  asked  for  a cup  of 
coffee,  which  I ordered  to  be  brought.  The  boy  who 
attended  the  bar  of  the  inn  seemed  to  be  without  a 
knife  to  cut  a big  lump  of  sugar  which  he  had  taken 
from  the  shelves,  and  so  he  bit  off  one  piece  after  the 
other,  and  taking  the  pieces  out  of  his  mouth,  placed 
them  on  the  saucer  on  which  he  intended  to  serve 
them.  This  was  too  strong,  even  for  an  Ecuadorian, 
and  my  servant  refused  to  take  the  coffee  after  what 
he  had  seen.  The  Indians  who  sweep  the  streets  of 
Quito  on  Sundays  have  no  shovels  to  take  up  the  dirt. 
1 have  seen  them,  many  a time,  scrape  together  the 
sweepings  with  their  hands  and  nails,  and  fill  them  in 
their  ponchos,  which  form  the  most  essential  part  of 
their  wearing  apparel  in  daytime,  and  serve  them  as 
blankets  at  night.  There  is  nothing  more  loathsome, 
however,  than  to  see  the  common  people  crush  lice 
between  their  teeth.  In  the  entrances  of  houses,  on 
the  market-places,  in  the  groceries  and  green-shop*, 
and  in  a variety  of  other  places  open  to  the  public  eye, 
men,  women,  and  children  may  be  seen  picking  lice 
off  each  other’s  heads,  and  crushing  them  between 


EXCELLENCE  OF  CLIMATE. 


115 


their  teeth.  In  respectable  private  residences,  I was 
often  obliged  to  see,  at  meals,  when  plates  were 
changed,  the  marks  of  fingers  on  the  crockery.  Tea 
and  coffee  pots  were  exceedingly  dirty  ; the  hands  and 
faces  of  the  servants  unwashed,  their  hair  uncombed, 
their  dress  slovenly  and  greasy.  If  such  disregard  of 
cleanliness  prevails  among  the  wealthy,  one  cannot  be 
surprised  that  the  filthiness  of  the  poor  beggars  descrip- 
tion. To  see  a man  pick  a flea  from  behind  his  necktie, 
and  kill  it  between  his  teeth,  is  not  an  uncommon  sight. 
I even  saw  women  lick  the  lice  and  scab  from  the  combs 
with  which  they  were  combing  their  children. 

These  details  are.  certainly  disgusting  ; but  the  coun- 
try has  its  redeeming  features : and  first  of  all,  the 
excellence  of  its  climate,  which  is  very  agreeable  and 
salubrious,  the  mean  temperature  being  about  60° 
Falir.  in  the  shade.  In  my  library,  the  mercury 
never  rose  above  61°  ; in  my  bedroom  — which  had  the 
morning  sun  — the  mean  temperature  was  62°.  In 
the  shade,  the  thermometer  scarcely  ever  rises  above 
70°,  nor  sinks  below  45°.  The  average  range  with- 
in the  twenty-four  hours  may  be  stated  at  about  10°. 
These  observations,  of  course,  apply  to  Quito  and  the 
neighboring  plains.  A journey  of  four  hours  will  place 
the  traveller  in  the  region  of  eternal  frost ; or  in  the 
space  of  half  a day  he  can  descend  the  deep  and  sul- 
try valleys  that  separate  the  mighty  chains  of  the 
Andes  ; or,  finally,  he  may  visit  the  tropical  forest  ex- 
tending to  the  shores  of  the  Pacific.  This  variation 
of  temperature,  dependent  on  elevation,  and  occurring 
within  narrow  limits,  furnishes  a daily  and  diversified 
supply  of  vegetable  food  — from  the  plantain,  which, 
as  a substitute  for  bread,  is  largely  consumed  by  the 
inhabitants  of  the  coast,  to  the  wheat,  pulse,  maize, 


116  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPAN ISH-AM ERIC ANS. 


quinoa , potato,  oca,  cabbage,  beets,  salads,  and  pot- 
herbs,  and  all  sorts  of  grains  and  roots,  growing  lux- 
uriantly on  the  cool  table-lands  of  the  interior.  Be- 
sides these,  the  market  is  furnished  with  pine-apples, 
chirimoyas  (Anona  chirimoya ),  guayavas  (. Psidium 
pomiferum ),  guavas  ( Inga  pachycarpa'),  the  fruit  of 
different  species  of  passion-flower  ; oranges  and  lemons, 
camotes , yucas , arachacas , pallemetos , citrons , granadil- 
las , and,  from  January  to  April,  certain  European 
fruits,  such  as  apples,  pears,  quinces,  peaches,  apricots, 
melons,  and  strawberries  — the  last-mentioned  fruit 
having  been  introduced  probably  from  Chili.  The 
quality  of  European  fruit,  however,  is  greatly  inferior, 
there  being  not  the  slightest  care  or  cultivation  be- 
stowed upon  trees. 

If  it  were  not  for  the  excellence  of  its  climate,  which 
is  never  hot  and  never  cold,  the  prevailing  filthiness 
/ would  make  Quito  a very  sickly  place.  But,  as  it  is, 
Quito,  with  its  neighborhood  for  miles  around,  may  be 
said  to  be  one  of  the  healthiest  localities  on  the  globe. 
Consumptions  and  pulmonary  diseases  are  scarcely  ever 
heard  of.  The  fevers  peculiar  to  tropical  countries  are 
unknown.  Those  who  get  them  on  the  coast  will  go 
to  Quito  and  the  interior,  to  get  rid  of  them  again. 
Dysenteries  are  uncommon.  Among  the  rabble,  it  is 
true,  cases  of  tubercular  elephantiasis  or  leprosy,1  as 
well  as  blindness  and  deafness,  will  be  noted  ; but  there 
is  no  doubt  that  they  are  brought  on  by  irregular 
habits  and  the  indescribable  filthiness  in  which  these 
people  are  brought  up  and  live.  As  the  government 
has  not  yet  established  a department  of  statistics,  I am 
unable  to  state  the  mortality  of  Quito,  although  I be- 
lieve it  is  considerably  less  than  that  of  other  places  of 
1 Elephantiasis  Grascorum. 


CLIMATE  OF  QUITO. 


117 


an  equal  number  of  inhabitants.  To  judge  from  the 
great  number  of  persons  of  high  age  I have  met  with 
in  all  ranks  and  stations,  the  climate  may  be  said  to  be 
favorable  to  long  life.  One  remarkable  observation 

<D 

which  I made  in  this  connection,  ought  to  find  a place 
here  : corpulency  is  very  frequent  among  women,  but 
very  rare  among  men.  I have  found  but  few  corpu- 
lent men  — I could  hardly  say  ten  — among  the  na- 
tives ; but  I was  surprised  at  the  strong  disposition  to 
obesity  prevailing  among  women.  For  this,  however, 
there  may  be  other  than  climatic  causes. 

I have  already  said  that  the  climate 'of  Quito  is  cool. 
Persons  of  sedentary  habits  will  find  it  cold.  I was 
continually  troubled  with  cold  feet,  which,  in  fact,  is  a 
very  common  complaint.  Daily  and  frequent  exercise 
is  necessary  to  prevent  it.  Those  who  realize  the  im- 
portance of  physical  exercise  on  foot  and  on  horse- 
back, will  find  the  climate  delightful.  On  leaving  the 
city  it  is  difficult  to  avoid  the  sun,  as  trees  are  scarce. 
Still,  the  rays  of  the  sun  are  not  strong  enough  to  do 
harm.  Cases  of  sunstroke  are  never  heard  of.  After 
dinner  it  is  generally  advisable  to  take  a moderate 
walk,  for  otherwise,  one  might  long  for  a fireplace, 
the  use  of  which,  in  a climate  like  that  of  Quito,  I 
should  think  to  be  injurious.  By  neglecting  physical 
exercise,  stomach  and  liver  complaints  will  easily  be 
contracted. 

I do  not  agree  with  those  geographers  who  have 
compared  the  climate  of  Quito  to  an  eternal  spring. 
I would  rather  call  it  an  eternal  autumn.  Between 
nine  to  ten  thousand  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  it 
is  nearer  the  regions  of  eternal  snow  than  to  those  of 
tropical  heat.  The  near  neighborhood  of  so  many 
snow-clad  mountains  contributes  greatly  to  the  cool-* 


118  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


ness  of  the  atmosphere.  Cloth,  and  thick  woolen 
stockings,  may  be  worn  all  the  year  round.  I almost 
always  wore  an  overcoat  in  the  evenings,  and  in  the 
rainy  season  very  often  in  the  daytime  also.  The  rainy 
season  is  very  unpleasant,  on  account  of  its  continuous 
and  interminable  showers.  It  rains  sometimes  several 
days  and  nights  in  succession.  The  season  announces 
itself  by  many  preliminary  showers  in  October  or  No- 
vember, bnt  it  does  not  set  in  regularly  until  after  the 
veranillo  (Indian  summer),  in  December  or  January. 
During  some  parts  of  it,  the  mornings  are  generally 
clear,  and  the  rains  do  not  commence  before  midday  ; 
but  during  other  parts,  it  rains  almost  without  inter- 
mission. The  inhabitants  of  temperate  zones  have  no 
idea  of  the  force  of  equinoctial  showers  and  thunder- 
storms. The  roofs  of  houses  require  frequent  repairs 
to  keep  tight  against  the  masses  of  water  which  are 
continually  pouring  down  from  the  opened  sluices  of 
heaven.  When  it  rains,  the  natives  will  generally 
walk  about  in  zuecos  (pattens,  or  rather,  wooden 
overshoes),  because  the  miserable  boots  and  shoes 
manufactured  in  the  country  afford  no  protection 
against  moisture.  The  streets  of  Quito,  however, 
dry  very  easily.  If  it  ceases  to  rain  for  half  an  hour, 
they  will  be  crowded  as  usual  with  lively  throngs  of 
humanity.  To  the  terrible  effect  the  rains  produce  on 
the  roads  of  the  country,  I have  already  adverted. 
They  have  no  effect,  however,  on  the  climate  of  the 
interior,  which,  occasional  colds  ( [constipaciones , flucci- 
ones , i pechugueras')  and  catarrhs  excepted,  remains  as 
healthy  in  winter  as  in  the  dry  season. 

Not  only  is  Quito  a very  healthy  place,  but  it  is  with- 
out insects,  except  those  against  which  cleanliness  is  a 
safe  preventive,  such  as  fleas  and  lice.  In  the  coun- 


SCARCITY  OF  INSECTS. 


119 


try,  niguas  or  qnquis  are  sometimes,  though  rarely 
found;  but  it  is  chiefly  the  Indians,  who,  on  account 
of  going  barefoot,  are  attacked  by  them.1  They  are 
very  diminutive,  and  generally  introduce  themselves 
into  the  cuticle  below  the  nails ; but  the  Indians,  es- 
pecially the  women,  are  very  skillful  in  taking  them 
out,  which  painful  operation  is  performed  with  a 
needle.  For  leagues  around  Quito,  no  snake  is  to 
be  found.  Mosquitoes  are  hardly  known  ; scorpions 
and  tarantulas  have  never  been  heard  of.  ' Flies,  even, 
are  very  rare,  and  do  not  molest  at  all.  There  are 
mice,  but  no  rats  ; nor  are  there  bats  or  lizards,  or 
even  bugs  or  beetles  in  the  grass  or  on  trees.  In  this 
respect  the  near  neighborhood  of  Quito  may  be  said  to 
be  a paradise.  The  coolness  of  the  weather  is  invig- 
orating and  refreshing,  and  has  none  of  those  relaxing 
and  enervating  effects  which  tropical  climates  produce. 
But  as  in  the  interior  of  Ecuador  you  may  choose  the 
temperature  most  suitable  to  your  constitution  or  taste, 
so  if  you  are  dissatisfied  with  the  autumnal  coolness  of 
Quito  and  its  vicinity,  a few  hours’  ride  will  lead  you 
into  regions  where  an  eternal  spring  prevails,  and 
where  the  products  of  all  climates  cluster  around  you 
— potatoes  and  clover  by  the  side  of  the  orange  and 

1 “ The  nigna,  called  piqui  in  Lima  and  other  parts  of  Peru,  is  a diminu- 
tive insect,  in  appearance  like  a small  flea.  They  generally  introduce 
themselves  under  the  cuticle  of  the  feet,  ■which  causes  a slight  itching. 
When  they  have  established  their  residence,  the}r  deposit  a great  number 
of  eggs,  the  whole  increasing  to  the  size  of  a pea.  If  not  carefully  taken 
out,  they  continue  to  breed,  and,  corroding  the  neighboring  parts,  they 
produce  malignant  ulcers,  which  sometimes  terminate  in  gangrene.  The 
greatest  care  is  necessary  in  taking  out  these  diminutive  but  disagreeable 
insects:  no  part  should  be  left  behind,  and  the  whole  of  the  bag  which  con- 
tains the  ova  should  be  extracted.  When  they  have  been  suffered  to  re- 
main several  days,  they  occasion  great  pain.  Negroes  are  most  troubled 
with  them,  on  account  of  their  going  barefoot,  and  of  their  inattention  to 
cleanliness."  — Stephenson,  Tioenty  Years'  Residence  in  South  America 


120  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


the  sugar-cane.  Indeed,  if  we  may  seek  anywhere  for 
a land  to  inaugurate  the  millennium  described  in  Shel- 
ley’s  “ Queen  Mab,”  it  is  in  the  highlands  of  Ecua- 
dor. There,  neither 

“ The  gloom  of  the  long  polar  night 

Lowers  o’er  the  snow-clad  rocks  and  frozen  soil ; ” 

nor  have  — 

“ The  tropics  bound  the  realms  of  day 

With  a broad  belt  of  mingling  cloud  and  flame, 

Where  blue  mists  through  the  unmoving  atmosphere 
Scattered  the  seeds  of  pestilence,  and  fed 
Unnatural  vegetation:” 

but  — 

“ Health  flows  in  the  gentle  atmosphere, 

And  fruits  are  ever  ripe,  and  flowers  ever  fair.” 

Indeed,  the  flora  of  Quito  is  as  beautiful  as  inex- 
haustible. Roses  bloom  all  the  year  round ; wild 
flowers  cover  the  walls  of  court-yards  and  ruins  ; tu- 
lips, pinks,  and  lilies,  bloom  in  the  gardens  winter  and 
summer,  and  verdure  ever  smiles  around  you  on  the 
mountains  and  in  the  glens.  The  sky,  when  un- 
clouded, is  of  the  purest  blue,  and  the  atmosphere  as 
balmy  as  that  of  the  fabulous  Eden  — the  charming 
dream  of  ancient  and  modern  poetry.  Here,  indeed, 
we  may  exclaim  with  Childe  Harold,  — 

“ O,  Christ,  it  is  a goodly  sight  to  see 

What  Heaven  has  done  for  this  delicious  land! 

What  fruits  of  fragrance  blush  on  every  tree, 

What  goodly  prospects  o’er  the  hills  expand: 

. But  man  would  mar  them  with  an  impious  hand.” 


“ For  hut  and  palace  show  like  filthily; 

The  dingy  denizens  are  rear’d  in  dirt; 

No  personage  of  high  or  mean  degree 

Doth  care  for  cleanness  of  surtout  or  shirt, 

Though  shent  with  Egypt’s  plague,  unkempt,  unwashed,  unhurt.” 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


Population.  — The  Whites.  — Aristocratic  Traditions.  — Ancient  Nobility. 
— Prejudice  against  Labor.  — Early  Marriages.  — Boy  - Husbands. — 
No  Spirit  of  Association  — Mixed  Races  — Cholas  and  Bolziconas. — 
Servants.  — Huasicamas.  — Indian  Wives.  — Laundresses.  — Longas, 
Guambras,  and  Guifiazhiscas. — Ama  de  Llaves. — Marketing. — Mat- 
rimonial Relations.  — An  Incident.  — Indian  Humility.  — Other  Traits 
of  Indian  Character.  — Politeness  of  the  Rabble.  — Spanish-American 
Courtesy.  — A Lady’s  Message  to  a Friend. 

The  population  of  Quito  does  not  exceed  40,000. 
On  several  occasions  the  government  attempted  to  as- 
certain the  actual  number  of  inhabitants,  but  failed  to 
arrive  at  a satisfactory  result.  The  people  became 
alarmed,  from  an  idea  that  the  formation  of  a census  is 
a preliminary  step  toward  the  imposition  of  a tax,  and 
the  information  thus  obtained  was  necessarily  defective. 
The  census  taken  in  1861  and  1862,  gives  but  85,000. 
The  population  has  undoubtedly  decreased.  Ulloa,  in 
1T85,  estimated  it  at  from  50,000  to  60,000.  Stephen- 
son, in  1809,  calculated  it  at  75,000,  which  is  an  exag- 
geration. Caldas,  at  about  the  same  time,  estimated  it 
at  85,000  to  40,000.  The  “ Almanaque  Nacional,” 
published  in  1845  or  1846,  dreams  of  80,000.  I am 
satisfied  that  by  adding  5000  to  the  last  official  census, 
to  make  up  for  those  who  were  omitted  by  the  census 
officers,  or  kept  out  of  their  way,  or  made  false  state- 
ments, 1 came  as  near  the  truth  as  possible. 

Of  the  elements  composing  the  population,  the  pure 
white  race  does  not  constitute  a majority,  although  it 
is,  of  course,  the  governing  class,  consisting  of  the  de- 


122  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH— AMERICAN'S. 


scendants  of  Spaniards  and  other  Europeans.  They 
are  endowed  with  a good  natural  capacity,  and  quick 
perception,  hut  lack  education,  and  are  without  the 
energy  and  perseverance  necessary  to  accomplish  im- 
portant undertakings.  The  want  of  a road  to  the  coast 
may  be  referred  to  as  a standing  proof  of  this  asser- 
tion. 

The  descendants  of  the  old  wealthy  or  noble  Span- 
ish families,  which  still  form  an  alpiost  impenetrable 
aristocracy,  have  preserved  their  white  blood  in  toler- 
able purity,  although  the  black,  coarse  hair,  especially 
of  the  women,  often  reminds  us  of  the  Indian  mesal- 
liances of  the  first  conquerors.  In  Quito,  persons  of 
doubtful  color  are  seldom  received  in  good  society,  and 
not  even  white  men  of  inferior  pedigree.  The  great 
families  do  not  intermarry  with  those  whom  they  con- 
sider below  themselves  in  rank  and  dignity,  although 
their  equals  in  color.  They  still  love  to  hear  their  old 
family  titles  mentioned.  The  laws,  they  think,  are 
made  for  poor  people,  — Indians  and  Cholos  only,  — 
but  not  for  persons  of  rank  (de  categoria).  These 
latter,  in  their  opinion,  are  entitled  to  make  laws  with- 
out being  obliged  to  obey  them.  — To  the  prevailing 
contempt  for  labor,  I shall  refer  hereafter. 

The  custom  of  marrying  very  young,  and  before  the 
bridegroom  has  secured  a position  in  life,  greatly  con- 
tributes to  the  poverty  of  the  middle  classes.  I have 
seen  students  marry  who  had  not  yet  finished  their  col- 
lege education,  and  who,  instead  of  supporting  their 
wives,  were  supported  by  them,  or  rather  by  their 
parents  and  families.  Instead  of  going  to  their  busi- 
ness after  breakfast,  they  went  to  the  University  with 
their  books  under  their  arms.  The  general  conse- 
quence of  this  custom  is,  that  after  a few  months  or 


NO  SPIRIT  OF  ASSOCIATION. 


123 


years,  such  a child-husband  returns  his  wife  to  her 
parents,  telling  them  frankly  that  he  cannot  support 
her ! H ence  the  frequency  of  husbands  not  living 
with  their  wives,  which,  in  Quitonian  phraseology,  is 
called  no  Jiacer  vida.  Still,  as  women  in  Ecuador  are 
much  more  numerous  than  men,  the  girls  prefer  this 
risk  to  the  danger  of  becoming  old  maids. 

An  important  trait  of  Serrano  character  is  their 
great  distrust  of  each  other,  which  precludes  all  spirit 
of  association.  Partnerships  are  not  customary  ; cor- 
porations are  unheard  of.  Great  enterprises  therefore, 
are  an  impossibility.  To  this  circumstance,  more  per- 
haps than  to  the  instability  of  governments  and  the 
frequent  recurrence  of  violent  political  convulsions, 
the  general  decay  of  the  country  must  be  attributed. 
The  colonial  period  was  one  of  absolute  tranquillity  and 
almost  undisturbed  peace  ; and  yet  it  was  not  charac- 
terized by  important  commercial  or  industrial  enter- 
prises. The  rich  buried  their  wealth  in  vaults  or  walls, 
instead  of  investing  it  in  speculations  profitable  to 
themselves  and  the  community.  The  finding  of  hid- 
den treasures  is,  therefore,  not  an  uncommon  occur- 
rence. During  my  residence  in  Ecuador,  it  happened 
several  times,  that  the  tearing  down  of  old  buildings 
led  to  the  discovery  of  considerable  sums  of  money 
buried  by  their  owners,  who  died  without  having  had 
time  to  communicate  the  secret  to  their  children  or 
relatives. 

I have  said  that  the  white  portion  of  the  population 
of  Quito  does  not  constitute  a majority.  It  is  in  the 
aggregate  outnumbered  by  the  colored  and  mixed  races 
Of  pure  negroes  there  are  but  few.  Of  Zambos 1 
(according  to  Humboldt,  the  children  of  mulattoes  and 

1 In  Quito  they  are  sometimes  called  Chinos. 


124  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISR-AMERICANS. 


negroes,  or  of  Indians  and  negroes),  a greater  number 
will  be  found.  The  bulk  of  the  population  consists  of 
Cholos  and  pure  Indians,  especially,  however,  of  the 
former.1  Of  the  Indians,  I shall  speak  hereafter. 
Cholos  or  Mestizos  are  the  children  of  whites  and  In- 
dians, and  their  descendants.  They  are  foremost  in 
practical  intelligence  and  enterprise.  In  their  hands 
are  the  trades,  and  a great  part  of  the  retail  commerce. 
They  are  tailors,  carpenters,  shoemakers,  blacksmiths, 
joiners,  etc.  The  Indians  till  the  soil  and  do  the 
heavy  drudgery,  such  as  working  on  the  roads,  and 
public  and  private  buildings.  The  Cholos  are  mechan- 
ics and  small  shop-keepers.  They  are  not  as  ugly  as 
the  great  majority  of  the  Indians,  especially  those  of 
Latacunga  and  Quito.  On  the  contrary,  among  the 
women,  we  find  many  of  handsome  appearance  and 
beautiful  eyes.  These  latter  are  either  de  vestido  or 
de  centro , in  which  case  they  are  also  called  u Bolzi- 
conas .”  The  former  dress  after  the  Spanish  or  Euro- 
pean fashion  ; the  latter,  although  gaudily  attired,  do 
not  wear  full  dresses,  Tut  content  themselves  with 
woolen  petticoats  of  lively  colors  (red,  pink,  yellow,  or 

1 The  following  is  Villavieencio’s  estimate  of  the  whole  population  of 


Ecuador:  — 

Whites  descending  from  Europeans  ....  601,219 

Pure  Indians  462,400 

Pure  negroes 7,831 

Mixtures  of  negroes,  whites,  and  Indians  . . . 36,592 


1,108,042 

Add  to  these  the  savages  east  of  the  Cordillera  . . 200,000 


Total 1,308,042 


From  attentive  observation,  I have  no  doubt  that  Villaviceneio  is  entirely 
wrong.  His  estimate  of  the  pure  white  population  is  too  high,  and  that  of 
the  mixed  races  greatly  too  low.  If  he  had  given  the  number  of  the  latter 
at  600,000,  and  the  number  of  the  former  at  30,000,  he  would  probably  have 
been  correct. 


SERVANTS. 


125 


pale  blue),  sometimes  ornamented  with  a profusion  of 
ribbons,  lace,  fringe,  and  spangles  ; white  embroidered 
shawls  of  cotton,  linen,  or  silk,  and  macanaa  and  pahue- 
lones , in  which  latter  great  luxury  is  sometimes  dis- 
played. This  costume,  with  the  addition  of  the  little 
straw  hat,  which  such  women  very  frequently  wear, 
is  rather  gay  and  piquant.  Their  shifts  are  generally 
embroidered.  Over  these  they  wear  the  light  em- 
broidered shawl  just  referred  to  ; over  this  the  macana 
(or  narrow  shawl),  and  over  this  the  panuelon  (or 
wide  shawl),  with  which  they  cover  their  heads  and 
shoulders,  throwing  the  right  end  over  the  left  slioul- 
der.  Sometimes  the  head  is  uncovered,  and  the  hair 
hangs  in  two  long  tresses  down  the  back.  The  poor 
among  them  are  commonly  without  the  light  shawl, 
and  go  barefooted,  or  in  alpargates , a sort  of  sandals, 
made  of  the  fibres  of  the  aloe.  The  panuelon  is  gen- 
erally of  English  flannel,  sometimes  of  cotton,  and 
sometimes  of  silk.  Those  who  are  in  better  circum- 
stances often  wear  satin  shoes.  They  all  wear  brace- 
lets and  necklaces  of  beads  or  corals,  rings  of  cocoa- 
shell  or  galvanized  compositions,  earrings,  etc.  They 
are  very  fond  of  jewelry  and  finery. 

But  it  is  time  that  we  should  establish  ourselves  in 
Quito.  We  must  take  a house,  and  employ  servants, 
who  will  prove  a source  of  endless  trouble  and  annoy- 
ance, for  they  are  generally  unreliable,  lazy,  and  filthy, 
but  very  good-natured,  humble,  and  submissive.  Every 
respectable  family  must  have  at  least  four  or  five  of 
them,  but  in  large  families  from  ten  to  fifteen  are 
sometimes  employed.  Three  or  four  of  them  together 
will  not  do  so  much  work  as  is  done  by  one  of  our  good 
German  or  Irish  servant-girls.  They  are  great  on  the 
division  of  labor.  Every  one  has  a certain  office,  and 


126  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


will  hardly  do  any  thing  hut  what  he  is  hired  for.  Their 
wages  are  exceedingly  low.  A good  male  cook  earned, 
in  1864,  from  two  dollars  and  fifty  cents  to  eight  dol- 
lars per  month,  which  latter  wages,  however,  were 
paid  hardly  by  any  body  but  foreigners.  The  natives, 
accustomed  to  live  cheap,  pay  their  servants  but  very 
little.  A female  cook  earned  from  fifty  cents  to  four 
dollars  a month.  But  a cook  will  scarcely  ever  serve 
you  without  an  assistant,  whose  business  it  is  to  fan  the 
tires,  wash  the  dishes  and  vegetables,  pare  potatoes, 
carry  water,  etc.  Generally,  this  work  is  performed 
by  the  huasicama  or  door-keeper,  of  whom  I shall 
presently  speak.  Dishes  are  not  exactly  washed,  but 
wiped  with  sawdust  kept  for  the  purpose,  commonly  in 
an.old  wine-box.  Besides  a cook  and  his  assistant  or 
assistants,  one  or  two  pajes,  or  body-servants,  will  have 
to  be  kept,  who  combine  the  offices  of  waiter,  steward, 
footman,  and  chambermaid.  Their  wages  varied  from 
two  dollars  to  six  dollars  per  month. 

Another  very  important  personage  in  the  household, 
is  the  huasicama , or  porter,  with  his  wife  ; for  the 
huasicama  is  always  a pure  Indian,  and  the  Indian 
always  has  a wife,  children,  and  a dog,  besides  a num- 
ber of  cuyes , an  animal  which  seems  to  form  the  transi- 
tion from  a Guinea-pig  to  a rabbit.  Huasicama  is  an 
Indian  (Quichua)  word,  and  means  door-keeper  or 
turnkey,  — literally,  “keeper  of  the  house.”  His 
room  is  near  the  door,  which  he  has  to  lock  at  night 
and  to  open  in  the  morning.  He  lias  to  do  all  the 
heavy  and  dirty  work,  sweep  the  yards  and  street  in 
front  of  the  house,  to  carry  water  and  to  take  care 
of  the  horses,  to  wash  the  dishes,  and  to  assist  the 
cook.  In  every  thing  he  does,  he  is  faithfully  assisted 
by  his  wife,  who  is,  literally,  his  helpmate.  The  affec- 


LAUNDRESSES. 


127 


tion  of  Indian  women  for  tlieir  husbands,  wlio  almost 
continually  ill-treat  them,  is  really  remarkable.  The 
Indian  wife  always  carries  the  baby  on  her  back,  in  a 
shawl  or  poncho  tied  around  her  breast  or  neck.  She 
is  generally  more  industrious  and  active  than  her  lazy 
and  brutal  husband.  The  huasicama’s  wages  range 
from  one  dollar  to  two  dollars  a month,  in  addition  to 
which  he  gets  his  food,  chiefly  locro  (a  potato  soup), 
and  a wretched  room  near  the  street-door  to  live  in. 
If  he  has  no  room,  he  sleeps  in  the  entrance.  His  bed- 
ding is  a sheep-skin,  and  his  clothes  and  ponchos  are 
his  blankets.  His  meals  he  takes  cowering  on  the 
floor,  a custom  which  is  not  peculiar  to  Indians.  The 
poor  cholos,  negroes,  and  even  the  white  rabble,  es- 
pecially, however,  the  chagras , or  country  people,  eat 
their  meals  on  the  ground,  and  in  all  probability  prefer 
this  mode  of  dining;  to  the  use  of  tables  and  chairs. 

Another  indispensable  person  in  the  family  is  the 
laundress,  who  washes  but  for  a limited  number  of 
persons.  If  there  are  three  or  four  ladies  in  one  family, 
it  will  be  necessary  to  employ  two  or  more  laundresses. 
There  being  neither  wells  nor  cisterns  in  the  houses, 
the  washerwomen  repair  to  one  of  the  many  streams 
flowing  through  the  ravines  (quebi'adas)  by  which  the 
city  is  intersected,  and  there,  tucking  up  their  clothes, 
go  into  the  water  and  beat  the  linen  against  a rock 
until  it  is  clean.  After  this  it  is  spread  over  rocks  or 
on  the  lawn,  to  be  dried  by  the  sun.  If  the  weather 
is  unpropitious,  this  process  takes  two  or  three  days. 
While  waiting  for  the  clothes  to  dry,  they  will  usually 
wash  and  bathe  themselves ; and  the  eye  of  the  passer- 
by is  arrested  by  innumerable  repetitions  of  the  sight 
for  which  Diana  transformed  poor  Actseon  into  a stag, 
who  was  torn  to  pieces  by  his  own  hounds.  But  the 


128  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


Quito  laundresses  are  no  Dianas.  Bashfulness  is  a 
virtue  unknown  among  the  common  people  of  the  in- 
terior. And  even  their  dogs  — for  almost  every  wash- 
erwoman has  a dog  who  keeps  her  company  — are  not 
like  those  of  Actaeon : they  only  hark  and  howl,  hut 
do  not  bite.  The  dogs  of  the  interior  partake  of  the 
tameness  of  their  masters.  There  are  dogs  in  almost 
every  Indian  hut,  hut  I never  met  with  a fierce  dog. 
Whether  they  have  no  courage,  because  they  get 
hardly  any  thing  to  eat  beside  the  carcasses  of  mules 
and  donkeys  dying  on  the  road,  and  which  not  too 
frequent  repast  they  must  share  with  gallinazos , or 
whether  they  are  affected  with  the  timidity  and  cow- 
ardice of  their  Indian  masters,  I am  unable  to  say. 

But  let  us  here  pass  to  another  class  of  servants, 
who  are  found  in  every,  and  even  the  poorest,  native 
family.  I mean  the  “ Longas  ” or  “ Gruawbras ,”  as  they 
are  generally  called.  They  are  little  Indian,  cholo, 
negro,  or  mulatto  boys  or  girls,  of  from  five  to  eight 
and  twelve  years  of  age,  who  are  kept  partly  as  play-* 
mates  and  servants  for  the  children,  partly  to  do  as 
many  little  things  as  their  age  will  allow.  They  are 
kept  with  a view  of  being  trained  to  be  regular  house- 
servants  when  they  arrive  at  a suitable  age.  They  are 
called  u Gruinazhiscas  ” when  brought  up  in  the  family 
from  their  earliest  childhood.  Gruihazkisca  and  Grua, ru- 
bra are  Indian  terms.  One  of  their  chief  duties  is  to 
carry  the  carpet  on  which  the  senora  kneels  in  church 
during  mass.  The  Quitonian  ladies  «go  to  mass  every 
day,  and  sometimes  to  several  masses  in  one  day,  but 
they  never  go  without  being  accompanied  by  a little, 
dirty  Indian,  cholo,  or  mulatto  boy  or  girl,  carrying  the 
carpet  or  hassock  on  the  head,  and  tripping  behind  his 
or  her  mistress.  Even  when  they  go  out  visiting,  they 


APPRENTICESHIP  OF  CHILDREN. 


129 


are  generally  followed  by  a servant,  who  squats  down 
at  the  head  of  the  stairs,  in  the  parlor  door,  or  in  the 
room  itself,  until  the  lady  is  ready  to  leave.  The  par- 
ents of  these  longas  or  guambras  are  in  the  habit 
of  selling  them  for  a trifle.  It  is  not  a sale  in  the  lit- 
eral sense  of  the  word  ; but  by  paying  a few  dollars  to 
the  parents,  you  may  easily  induce  them  to  apprentice 
their  children  to  you,  until  they  become  of  age.  Many 
a time  such  children  were  offered  to  me.  I recollect 
one  instance  in  which  the  mother,  an  Indian  woman, 
offered  me  one  of  her  children  if  I would  give  her  the 
money  to  buy  a pig.  The  process  of  binding  out  chil- 
dren is  simple  and  cheap.  The  parties  appear  before 
the  chief  of  police,  who  asks  the  mother  for  her  name 
and  age  (of  the  latter  she  is  generally  ignorant), 
whether  she  is  married  or  unmarried,  whether  the 
child  is  legitimate  or  illegitimate,  its  name  and  age,  and 
the  name  of  the  father.  After  answering  his  ques- 
tions, the  chief  of  police  makes  the  mother  declare  her 
intention  to  bind  out  the  child,  and,  as  these  women 
are  almost  always  entirely  illiterate,  one  of  the  wit- 
nesses will,  at  her  request  and  on  her  behalf,  sign  the 
instrument  of  indenture.  The  guambra  or  longa  is 
fed  and  clothed  (and  generally  very  poorly)  by  her 
master,  but  receives  no  wages  or  education.  On  be- 
coming of  age,  she  may  go  where  she  pleases. 

In  large  and  wealthy  families,  there  is  sometimes  an 
“ ama  de  llaves  ” (literally,  a “ mistress  of  the  keys  ”), 
a kind  of  female  overseer,  or  stewardess,  who  has 
charge  of  the  whole  household,  with  the  care  of  which 
ladies  will  have  as  little  to  do  as  possible.  Such  an 
ama  de  llaves , however,  often  increases  the  peculations 
to  which  you  are  exposed,  because  she  will  steal  first, 
and  the  others  will  steal  after  her.  Stealing  is  hardly 


130  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


considered  a sin  by  the  common  people.  I once  heard 
an  ama  de  Haves  express  her  abhorrence  of  Protestant- 
ism, because  Protestant  clergymen  had  no  power  to 
forgive  sins  ; and  she  thought  it  horrible  that  little  in- 
significant  thefts,  which,  in  her  opinion,  every  body 
committed,  should,  without  absolution  in  this  world,  be 
carried  to  the  other  side  of  the  grave  ! 

Besides  the  different  classes  of  servants  I have  enu- 
merated, there  are  chamber-maids  (if  they  deserve  to 
be  honored  with  such  a name),  wet-nurses  ( hums , an 
Indian  word),  and  very  frequently  two  or  three  super- 
numeraries, old  retainers  of  the  family,  who  work  for 
their  board  until  they  can  find  more  lucrative  employ- 
ment. 

Almost  all  your  servants  are  married,  and  have  fam- 
ilies who  live  with  them,  early  marriages  being  the 
custom  of  the  country.  The  families  of  servants, 
however,  are  not  so  great  an  annoyance  as  the  legions 
of  relatives  and  friends  by  whom  they  are  continually 
visited,  and  who  will  dine  with  them,  drink  with  them, 
and  even  stay  over  night  with  them.  Then  you  will 
find  them  huddled  together,  men  and  women  promiscu- 
ously, on  the  floor  of  a small  room,  without  windows 
and  ventilation.  Such  visits  sometimes  last  for  a whole 
week.  It  is  impossible . to  keep  your  house  clear  of 
people  who  are  not  in  your  employ.  At  one  time  I 
had  four  persons  in  my  service,  and  yet  I fed  fourteen 
regularly,  without  counting  their  occasional  visitors. 
Their  appetite  is  ravenous.  They  eat,  not  until  they 
are  satisfied,  but  so  long  as  there  is  any  thing  left ; and 
besides  what  remains  of  the  meals,  immense  pots  of 
locro  are  cooked  for  their  exclusive  benefit. 

Fleas  are  the  plague  of  the  interior.  I have  seen 
women  with  perfect  collars  of  flea-bites  around  their 


MARKETING. 


131 


necks.  Even  in  the  houses  of  some  of  the  first  native 
families,  fleas  are  as  numerous  as  in  the  huts  of  In- 
dians. These  things  may  appear  incredible,  but  I am 
satisfied  that  in  many  respects  my  description  remains 
behind  the  truth. 

The  cook  generally  receives  a certain  sum  per  day 
for  marketing,  for  which  he  furnishes  two  meals,  break- 
fast and  dinner.  He  is  not  called  to  account  for  what 
he  has  expended.  Any  balance  that  may  remain  after 
he  has  made  his  purchases,  he  keeps  for  himself.  Quito 
is  undoubtedly  the  cheapest  capital  in  the  world.  It 
costs  almost  nothing  to  live.  For  a dollar  a day  my 
cook  furnished  two  excellent  daily  meals.  Boarding  at 
the  restaurants  could  be  had  at  from  ten  dollars  to 
fifteen  dollars  a month,  or  twenty-five  cents  a meal. 
During  the  last  year  of  my  residence  at  Quito,  there 
was,  however,  a steady  rise  in  the  price  of  provisions, 
which  henceforward  will  never  return  to  their  pristine 
standard. 

The  mode  of  marketing  is  very  queer.  Of  course 
ladies  or  gentlemen  will  not  go  to  market,  not  even 
with  a servant  to  carry  the  basket.  This  practice,  so 
common  with  us,  would  be  scandalous  and  disreputable 
in  Spanish-America.  It  is  the  cook,  or  sometimes  the 
huasicama,  who  makes  the  purchases.  He  will  first 
buy  a few  breads  in  a grocery,  and  with  these  breads 
he  will  buy  his  vegetables,  or  other  articles  worth  less 
than  a cuartillo,  which  is  the  smallest  coin,  and  the 
fourth  part  of  a real.  One  bread  represents  one  fifth 
of  a cuartillo,  — twenty  common  breads  being  given 
for  one  real.  The  bread  thus  used  consists  of  small 
round  pieces,  weighing  but  very  little,  although  suffi- 
ciently doughy  and  indigestible.  The  Indian  producers 
or  venders,  therefore,  receive  more  bread  than  money. 


132  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


The  want  of  copper  coin  is  the  cause  of  this  strange 
custom.  Sometimes  the  cooks  will  make  their  pur- 
chases by  force.  They  will  take  what  they  need,  and 
then  throw  down  not  what  the  Indian  seller  asks,  but 
what  they  deem  sufficient.  Of  course  the  poor  Indian 
never  thinks  of  resisting  any  body  who  is  not  an  Indian. 
Even  negroes  and  cliolos  he  considers  superior  to  him- 
self, and  patiently  submits  to  every  act  of  injustice  or 
oppression. 

I have  said  already  that  almost  all  the  servants  are 
married,  and  have  their  families  with  them.  Their 
standard  of  morality,  however,  is  rather  low.  Some- 
times they  take  women  on  trial,  a custom  very  preva- 
lent among  the  Indians,  who  are  often  compelled  by 
poverty  to  live  with  their  intended  ones,  without 
being  married,  until  they  have  money  enough  to  pay 
the  fees  of  the  curate,  who  never  trusts.  The  conduct 
of  the  husband  in  spe  is,  however,  almost  always  char- 
acterized by  good  faith.  He  seldom  rejects  the  woman 
with  whom  he  has  cohabited  with  a view  to  matrimony. 
The  Indian  is  strongly  attached  to  his  wife,  and  very 
jealous,  although  he  treats  her  cruelly  ; but  the  woman 
does  not  want  to  be  treated  otherwise.  If  her  husband 
should  cease  to  beat  her,  she  would  be  convinced  that  he 
has  ceased  to  love  her.  The  British  Charge  d‘ Affaires, 
Mr.  Fagan,  once  protected  a woman  whom  an  Indian 
was  beating  on  the  public  highway,  but  she  rebuked 
that  gentleman  with  the  remark  that  the  aggressor 
was  her  husband,  and  had  a right  to  wallop  her. 

I once  had  a huasicama  who  formed  an  exception  to 
the  good  faith  0f  the  Indian  toward  the  other  sex.  He 
was  a boy  of  about  sixteen  or  seventeen  years  of  age 
(according  to  my  calculation,  for  the  Indians  hardly 
ever  know  how  old  they  are),  and  lived  with  two 


MATRIMONIAL  RELATIONS. 


133 


women,  with  both  of  whom  he  seemed  to  be  on  terms 
of  great  intimacy.  One  of  them  I supposed  to  be  his 
wife ; but  one  day  the  census-taker  came  around  to  add 
my  servants  to  his  list,  and  asked  him  the  usual  ques- 
tion, whether  he  was  married  or  single.  To  my  great 
astonishment,  he  replied  that  he  was  unmarried.  I 
then  asked  him  sternly  what  he  kept  two  women  for  ? 
He  answered  very  mildly,  “ Para  camrme ,”  “for  the 
purpose  of  getting  married,”  or,  “ with  a view  to  mat- 
rimony.” I then  informed  him  that  this  would  not  do, 
and  that  he  had  to  be  one  woman’s  husband,  or  to  dis- 
charge them  both.  He  did  not  like  the  alternative, 
and  left  my  employment.  About  half  a year  after- 
ward he  came  back  and  asked  to  be  reinstated.  As 
he  had  always  been  a tolerably  good  and  honest  boy,  I 
was  not  disinclined  to  take  him  back,  and  therefore 
asked  him  whether  his  domestic  affairs  had  remained  in 
the  same  objectionable  shape.  “No,”  he  said,  “ yo  he 
botado  d esa  mujer  ” (“  I have  cast  that  woman  away  ”). 
Shortly  afterward  he  married  another  whom  his  par- 
ents had  selected  for  him.  The  relatives  of  both  par- 
ties contributed  to  defray  the  expense  of  solemnizing 
the  marriage,  as  bride  and  bridegroom  were  penniless. 

Lazy  and  dishonest  as  the  common  people  of  the  in- 
terior generally  are,  they  are  not  impertinent  or  mis- 
chievous, but  polite  and  submissive  in  the  extreme.  It 
is  seldom  that  they  dare  to  retort  or  resent,  when  in- 
sulted by  any  one  who  is  above  them  in  the  social 
scale.  They  seem  to  have  learned  submissiveness  and 
humility  from  the  Indians,  who  are  perfectly  helpless 
and  rightless.  Every  body  kicks  them,  every  body  in- 
sults them,  but  they  never  resent.  Indian  firm  labor- 
ers on  the  haciendas,  after  having  been  whipped  at  the 
command  of  their  masters,  address  them,  hat  in  hand, 


134  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


and  as  polite  and  pliable  as  if  nothing  had  happened. 
The  Indian,  trudging  along  barefoot  on  the  public 
highway,  always  takes  off  his  hat  to  a well-dressed 
.person,  giving  him  the  usual  salutation,  — u Alabado 
sea  el  santisimo  Sacramento  /”  (Blessed  be  the  most 
holy  sacrament !)  If  you  want  to  light  a cigar  at  one 
of  the  Indian  huts  on  the  road,  the  poor  man  will  give 
you  a small  firebrand,  hat  in  hand.  He  is  always  hum- 
ble, always  submissive  in  words,  but  generally  very 
backward  in  actions.  His  temper  has  been  soured  by 
long  ill-treatment.  He  will  hardly  do  any  thing  unless 
he  is  compelled  to  do  it.  Force  is  considered  to  be  the 
only  way  to  succeed  with  him.  I cannot  omit,  in  this 
connection,  to  mention  an  incident  which  was  com- 
municated to  me  by  the  British  Charge  d’Affaires.  On 
bis  journey  to  Quito,  he  met  several  Indians  on  the 
road  who  carried  fruit  to  some  town  near  by,  for  the 
purpose  of  selling  it  there.  He  offered  to  buy  some, 
but  they  refused  to  sell.  He  then  offered  double  and 
treble  prices,  but  the  Indians  remained  stubborn.  At 
last  the  Charge  was  informed  by  the  officer  who  accom- 
panied him  as  a guide  and  guard  of  honor,  that  this 
was  not  the  way  to  deal  with  Indians.  That  gentle- 
man dismounted,  and  after  a*  few  threatening  words 
and  gestures,  opened  the  bundles  of  the  Indians,  and 
took  out  fruit  for  the  whole  company.  Being  asked  by 
the  British  Charge  what  the  damage  was,  they  charged 
the  regular  low  price.  They  preferred  a compulsory 
sale  for  the  common  price  to  a voluntary  sale  for  a good 
price.  It  is  true,  a decided  disinclination  to  sell  any 
thing  on  the  road  before  arriving  at  thte  place  for  which 
they  are  bound,  is  universal  among  them  ; but  on  the 
other  hand,  it  must  not  be  forgotten  that  experience  has 
taught  them  to  distrust  the  promises  of  the  white  man. 


POLITENESS  OF  SPANIARDS. 


135 


They  are  accustomed  to  be  wronged  and  to  be  cheated, 
and  therefore  surrender  themselves  to  an  incredulous 
indifference  and  stolid  unwillingness,  which  can  only  be 
overcome  by  force.  And  force  they  have  to  experi- 
ence in  every  thing.  Even  the  government  continually 
sets  the  example.  When  there  is  danger  of  a foreign 
war  or  revolution,  they  are  compelled  to  carry  loads  of 
muskets,  ammunition,  or  other  implements  of  war,  as 
well  as  the  baggage  of  officers  and  privates,  or  to  ren- 
der other  compulsory  services. 

Notwithstanding  their  ignorance  and  filthiness,  the 
manners  of  the  rabble  of  Quito,  if  not  instigated  to 
some  quarrel  by  rum  or  chicha,  are  characterized  bv 
the  utmost  politeness,  not  only  toward  their  superiors, 
but  also  among  themselves.  The  very  dregs  of  the 
population  of  Quito,  degraded  as  they  may  be,  are 
politeness  personified ; and  they  will  clothe  the  out- 
bursts of  their  civility  in  language,  the  elegance  and 
correctness  of  which  are  really  astonishing.  The  loaf- 
ing vagabond,  who  sleeps  on  the  cold,  unfloored  ground 
of  one  of  those  dreadful  hovels  which  serve  as  kitchens, 
bedrooms,  chicken-roosts,  dog-kennels,  and  pig-sties, 
will,  when  meeting  one  of  his  comadres , salute  her 
in  a manner  which  we  should  expect  to  hear  only  in 
drawing-rooms  and  parlors. 

The  Spaniards  are  notorious  for  politeness,  but  their 
South-American  descendants  have  surpassed  them. 
They  practice  politeness  as  they  do  religion.  Their 
set  phrases  in  society  are  rattled  off  like  their  prayers 
in  church.  Their  civility,  like  their  religious  worship, 
is  only  an  outward  observance,  which  has  but  little 
connection  with  the  heart.  It  is  not  studied  hypoc- 
risy, — it  is  mere  habit  and  mechanism.  With  the 
same  thoughtlessness  with  which  they  hum  and  prattle 


1 !6  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


away  at  their  rosaries  and  litanies,  they  pour  forth  their 
compliments  and  assurances. 

It  is  amusing  to  hear  a Quitonian  lady  send  one  of 
her  servants  to  deliver  a message  to  another  lady. 
Translated  into  English,  it  sounds  most  ridiculous : 
“ Go  to  the  Senorita  Fulana  de  Tal,  and  tell  her  that 
she  is  my  heart  ( que  es  mi  corazon ),  and  the  dear  little 
friend  of  my  soul ; tell  her  that  I am  dying  ( que  estoy 
muriendome  por  no  haberle  visto ) for  not  having  seen 
her,  and  ask  her  why  she  does  not  come  to  see  me  ; 
tell  her  that  I have  been  awaiting  her  for  more  than  a 
week,  and  that  I send  her  my  best  respects  and  con- 
siderations ; and  ask  her  how  she  is,  and  how  her  hus- 
band is,  and  how  her  children  are,  and  whether  they 
are  all  well  in  the  family  ; and  tell  her  that  she  is  my 
little  love,  and  whether  she  will  not  be  kind  enough 
to  send  me  that  pattern  which  she  promised  me  the 
other  day.”  Now,  any  body  would  suppose  that  the 
servant  intrusted  with  this  highly  important  message, 
would  forget  one  half  of  it,  or  be  unwilling  to  deliver 
the  long  preamble  to  the  short  argument ; but  it  is  not 
so.  With  a conscientiousness  that  does  not  distinguish 
them  in  other  respects,  and  with  a strength  of  memory 
that  would  shame  the  retentiveness  of  Sancho  Panza,  in 
delivering  his  master's  message  from  the  Sierra  Morena 
to  the  Dulcinea  of  his  heart,  the  servants  will  deliver 
themselves  with  a parrot-like  fidelity,  and  in  a strange, 
monotonous,  sing-song  key  of  voice,  of  the  complete 
mass  of  compliments  confided  to  their  charge ; they 
will  rather  add  than  omit  one  ; they  will  rather  im- 
prove on  the  original  than  weaken  its  effects  by  giv- 
ing a synopsis  merely,  or  editing  an  abridgment. 

Having  now  established  ourselves  domestically,  we 
may  begin  to  look  around  in  Quito.  This  shall  be 
done  in  my  next  chapter. 


CHAPTER  IX. 


Spanish  Mode  of  Colonization.  — Fortifications  and  Convents.  — Architect- 
ure  of  Quito.  — The  Moorish  Style.  — Public  Buildings.  — Churches. 

— Nunneries.  — The  Convent  of  San  Francisco. — Its  Painted  Miracles 

— Interesting  Specimens.  — The  Praying  Lamb.  — The  Chapel  of 
Catuiia. — A Romantic  Legend.  — The  Treasures  of  Ruminagui. — A 
Pretended  Pact  with  the  Prince  of  Darkness.  — La  Capilla  del  Robo.  — 
Another  Legend.  — The  Parish  Church  of  San  Roque.  — Flagellation. 

— The  Tejar,  or  La  Recoleta  de  la  Merced.  — Religious  Exercises  in 
Lent.  — Still  another  Legend.  — Indian  Reticence.  — Burying-places. 

— How  the  Poor  bury  their  Children.  — Administering  the  Last  Sacra- 
ments. — Religious  Processions.  — Semana  Santa.  — Holy  Thursday 
and  Good  Friday.  — Splendid  Illumination  of  the  Churches. — A De- 
scendimiento.  — A Sermon  accompanied  by  a Puppet-show.  — Its  Effect 
on  the  Audience.  — A Portable  Image  of  the  Lord,  and  its  Travels  to 
(he  Coast.  — Christmas.  — Misa  de  Gallos.  — The  Clergy.  — Ignorance 
and  Immorality  of  the  Monks.  — The  Curates.  — List  of  Convents  and 
Nunneries.  — Fees  of  Curates.  — Divisions  of  Caste. 

The  endeavors  of  Spain  with  respect  to  her  Ameri- 
can colonies,  were  chiefly  directed  toward  preserving 
them  exclusively  to  herself,  and  establishing  the  au- 
thority of  the  Church  of  Rome  as  a means  conducive 
to  that  object,  as  well  as  of  government.  She  studded 
the  coasts  with  fortifications,  and  covered  the  interior 
with  churches  and  convents.  Guns  and  relics,  soldiers 
and  friars,  were  her  instruments  and  agents ; and  op- 
pression and  superstition,  with  ignorance,  their  never- 
failing  attendant,  the  fruits  the  colonies  reaped  from 
the  system.  Hence,  to  understand  and  appreciate 
correctly  whatever  exists  at  the  present  day  in  a Span- 
ish-American  republic,  whether  in  politics,  morals,  or 
art,  Spain  and  her  system  must  always  be  borne  in 
mind. 


138  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


The  insalubrity  of  the  Ecuadorian  sea-board  and  the 
inaccessible  nature  of  the  interior,  were,  perhaps,  con- 
sidered sufficient  protection  against  the  intrusion  of 
foreigners,  and  artificial  means  to  exclude  them  were 
not  so  extensively  resorted  to  as  at  Havana,  Cartagena, 
Callao,  and  other  sea-ports.  Undivided  attention  could 
consequently  be  bestowed  on  the  means  of  defense 
against  spiritual  foes.  Thus,  though  far  from  having 
been  among  the  wealthiest  of  the  Spanish  colonies, 
Ecuador,  in  her  capital  of  Quito,  can  boast  of  more 
extensive  convents  and  costlier  churches  than  many  of 
her  richer  sisters. 

The  Spaniards  did  usually  build  some  secular  edifices 
of  a very  substantial  class  in  most  of  their  colonial  cap- 
itals, at  least  “ la  casa  de  la  real  audiencia ,”  and  a vice- 
regal palace,  were  never  wanting,  and  not  unfrequently 
a theatre  was  added  ; but  if  any  of  these  ever  existed 
in  Quito,  they  must  have  belonged  to  a very  inferior 
kind  of  construction,  for  none  of  them  are  to  be  found 
there  now.  It  seems  that  not  even  barracks  built  for 
such  were  considered  necessary,  as  the  present  govern- 
ment is  obliged  to  quarter  the  small  force  it  supports 
in  portions  of  some  of  the  old  convents.  Perhaps  the 
absence  of  substantial  secular  edifices  is  attributable  to 
there  having  been  no  employment  for  military  engi- 
neers, who  generally  acted  in  the  other  colonies  as  ar- 
chitects, and  understood  at  least  how  to  build  solidly. 
That  the  ecclesiastical  edifices  fared  better,  may  be 
owing  to  their  always  having  been  a friar  or  two  in 
each  of  the  convents  who  took  to  the  study  of  archi- 
tecture, as  it  was  practiced  in  Spain,  as  a favorite  pas- 
time. 

Since  the  establishment  of  independence,  no  public 
building  with  any  pretensions  to  architecture,  except 


ARCHITECTURE.  — PUBLIC  BUILDINGS. 


139 


the  unfinished  Government  House,  has  been  at- 
tempted ; and  hence  the  ecclesiastical  edifices  are 
nearly  the  only  ones  that  are  worthy  of  architectural 
notice. 

Traces  of  the  Moorish  style  show  themselves  in 
almost  all  the  architecture  of  Spain  ; and  even  the 
buildings  belonging  to  the  renaissance  period  are  not 
free  of  such  reminiscences.  These,  with  other  peculi- 
arities of  Spanish  art,  were  imported  into  the  colonies. 
The  prevailing  characteristics  are  just  what  might  be 
expected  to  result  from  an  endeavor  on  the  part  of  the 
builder  to  copy  as  faithfully  as  his  unaided  memory 
would  allow,  some  favorite  model  which  was  the  fash- 
ion of  his  day,  and  which  he  had  seen  executed  at  home 
in  Old  Spain. 

Not  long  after  the  discovery  of  America,  the  Gothic 
style  had  fallen  almost  into  complete  disuse  in  the 
mother-country,  as  it  had  also  throughout  the  rest  of 
Europe ; consequently,  excepting  here  and  there  a 
pointed  arch  standing  in  startling  discord  amidst  a 
group  of  round  ones  in  some  of  the  churches,  there  is 
nothing  to  remind  one  of  that  style  in  Quito. 

The  fear  of  earthquakes  has  led  to  even  a greater 
degree  of  massiveness ‘in  the  style  of  construction  here 
than  at  home  ; and  though  the  extensive  use  of  vaulted 
coverings  and  of  arches  to  be  observed  in  Quito  does 
not  agree  with  apprehensions  respecting  the  awful 
scourge  just  mentioned,  the  practice  was  partly  forced 
on  the  builders  by  the  scarcity  of  timber  of  a proper 
scantling,  of  which  the  vicinity  of  Quito  is  bare. 

The  color  of  the  stone  used  for  building  is  too  dark, 
yet  the  material  is  generally  of  a good  quality,  and 
stone-cutting  and  carving  were  brought  to  ’a  high  state 
of  advancement.  The  lime  and  sand  of  the  neighbor- 


110  FOCI*  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


hood  afforded  excellent  mortar,  and  must  have  greatly 
facilitated  the  practice  of  vaulted  coverings. 

With  the  exception  of  the  Cathedral  (the  parochial 
chapels  are  little  better  than  barns),  the  principal 
churches  are  attached  to  convents.  They  therefore 
rarely  present  more  than  the  principal  facade  to  the 
public,  and  if  they  happen  to  stand  on  one  corner  of 
the  convents  the  flanks  are  left  bare  of  architectural 
design,  to  correspond  in  unsightliness  with  the  rest  of 
the  convent  walls. 

The  convents  are  extensive,  covering  sometimes  as 
much  as  eight  or  nine  acres  of  ground.  They  gener- 
ally have  one  or  two  spacious  arcaded  quadrangles, 
and  several  smaller  ones,  but  are  all  more  or  less  in  a 
deplorable  state  of  dilapidation,  caused  chiefly  by  the 
last  earthquake  and  subsequent  neglect.  Their  con- 
struction, however,  was  always  of  a substantial  nature. 

Some  of  the  nunneries  have  large  gardens,  in  which 
each  nun  has  a little  pavilion  or  bower  built  for  her 
recreation,  and  which  is  her  exclusive  property.  It  is 
her  delight  to  decorate  this  according  to  her  childish 
and  simple  taste,  with  pictures  of  saints,  trinkets,  and 
embroidery  of  her  own  making. 

The  monastery  of  San  Francisco  is  one  of  the 
dargest  in  Quito,  and  perhaps  one  of  the  most  ex- 
tensive convents  in  the  world.  As  the  number  of 
Franciscans,  as  well  as  of  monks  in  general,  has  greatly 
diminished,  it  has  lost  its  ancient  importance.  A con- 
siderable part  of  it  is  in  ruins,  while  the  southerly 
wing  is  used  for  militarv  barracks.  In  the  arcaded 
corridors  of  the  courts,  numberless  oil-paintings  adorn 
the  walls,  representing  incidents  in  the  life  of  St.  Fran- 
cis, and  miracles  wrought  by  him.  Each  picture  is 
provided  with  an  explanation,  in  the  Spanish  language, 


MIRACLES  OF  SAN  FRANCISCO. 


141 


of  what  it  represents.  To  give  my  readers  an  idea  of 
Quito  convents,  I shall  translate  a few  of  the  inscrip- 
tions : — 

“As  the  mother  of  the  seraphic  father,  San  Francisco,  had 
despaired  of  a safe  delivery  of  the  fruit  of  her  womb,  she 
followed  the  advice  of  an  angel  who  had  appeared  to  her  in 
the  form  of  a pilgrim  and  told  her  to  await  her  confinement 
in  a stable.  There  the  birth  of  the  sainted  father  takes 
place,  in  imitation  of  the  birth  of  Christ ; and  at  his  birth, 
the  greatest  consternation  prevails  in  hell,  and  the  devil 
trembles  because  he  foresees  the  terrible  war  which  the  great 
saint  will  wage  against  him.” 

o o 

The  painting  represents  this  interesting  scene  : On 
one  side,  the  stable  and  the  confinement  ; and  on  the 
other,  the  infernal  legions  of  horned  devils  trembling 
and  despairing. 

“ In  Palermo,  a city  of  the  kingdom  of  Sicily,  there  was 
^ a woman  who  was  seized  by  a most  burning  desire  to  eat 
human  flesh.  Having  no  means  of  satisfying  her  horrible 
appetite,  she  killed,  instigated  by  the  devil,  her  little  son. 
She  had  already  roasted  one  of  his  limbs,  when  her  husband 
came  in,  and  beholding  what  she  had  done,  was  about  to 
kill  her.  At  this  moment  the  sainted  father,  San  Francisco, 
appeared  to  them,  and  commanded  them  to  bring  the  differ- 
ent parts  of  the  child’s  body  to  him,  which  he  put  together 
and  blessed,  whereupon  the  child  became  alive  again,  and 
was  restored  to  his  parents.” 

“ A monk  of  a certain  order,  who  would  not  believe  that 
the  wounds  of  Christ  were  really  impressed  on  the  body  of 
the  sainted  father,  San  F rancisco,  blotted  their  sacred 
marks  from  a portrait  of  the  saint  which  he  had  in  his  pos- 
session ; when,  as  a heavenly  chastisement,  a jet  of  blood 
rushed  from  the  picture  with  such  force,  that  it  struck  down 
the  monk,  and  almost  killed  him.” 

“ The  fire  of  heavenly  love  which  glowed  in  the  breasts 


142  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH— AMERICANS. 


of  San  Francisco  and  Santa  Clara  was  so  great  that  their 
mortal  frames  could  not  hold  it.  It  burst  its  confinement, 
and  filled  the  whole  church  of  Asei,  in  which  the  two  were 
praying,  and  issued  forth  from  the  windows,  so  that  the 
people  believed  the  church  was  on  fire,  and  came  with 
buckets  and  ladders.  Thus  they  were  made  witnesses  of 
the  great  miracle  which  God  had  wrought  through  his 
saints.” 

“ In  the  convent  of  Gaeta  in  Naples,  the  sainted  father 
was  sorely  tempted,  once  upon  a time,  by  the  alluring  arts 
of  a licentious  woman.  To  preserve  his  chastity,  he  threw 
himself  naked  into  a thorny  bush.  The  spines,  bathed  by 
his  holy  blood,  were  at  once  transformed  into  beautiful  and 
fragrant  roses.” 

“ When  the  holy  father,  San  Francisco,  arrived  at  Arecio, 
a city  in  Etruria,  he  found  its  inhabitants  engaged  in  a ter- 
rible civil  war.  At  the  same  time,  he  beheld  hovering  over 
the  city  a number  of  demons,  who  fanned  the  flames  of  in- 
ternecine discord.  He  commanded  them  to  be  gone.  They 
had  to  obey  the  irresistible  power  of  his  voice,  and  peace 
was  at  once  restored.” 

“ A lamb  which  the  holy  father,  San  F rancisco,  kept,  wor- 
ships Jesus  Christ  during  the  most  holy  sacrament.” 

The  lamb  is  represented  standing  on  its  hind  legs, 
in  the  attitude  of  prayer.  The  last  painting  of  this 
remarkable  collection  represents  the  Saint’s  arrival  in 
heaven,  “ where  the  most  holy  Virgin  Mary  places 
the  child  Christ  in  his  arms.”  There  are  at  least 
sixty  or  seventy  of  these  paintings  in  the  arcades  of 
the  convent. 

Let  us  now  pass  to  another  legend  connected  with 
the  convent  of  San  Francisco  : On  the  southeast  cor- 
ner of  the  immense  property,  and  contiguous  to  the 
main  church,  we  find  the  chapel  of  Catuna,  in  the 
vestry  of  which  a picture  of  the  Virgin  is  exhibited, 


A.  ROMANTIC  LEGEND. 


143 


with  an  Indian  at  her  feet,  who  looks  up  to  her  implor- 
ingly.  This  Indian,  of  whom  only  the  head  and  neck 
are  represented,  is  Catuna,  the  founder  of  the  chapel, 
and  the  hero  of  one  of  the  oldest  legends  of  Quito. 

The  great  treasures  which  the  unfortunate  Inca, 
Atahuallpa,  delivered  to  Pizarro  as  his  ransom,  are 
said  to  have  come  from  Cuzco  and  other  Peruvian 
towns.  The  treasure  at  Quito  is  said  to  have  re- 
mained intact,  and  to  have  been  seized  upon  by  Ru- 
minagui, one  of  the  Inca’s  generals,  who,  after  the 
capture  of  his  master  by  the  Spaniards,  had  usurped 
the  government  of  Quito,  and  with  a view  to  his  own 
elevation  to  the  throne,  had  put  to  death  all  the  mem- 
bers of  his  master’s  family  whom  he  could  get  into  his 
power.  On  the  approach  of  the  victorious  Spaniards 
under  Benalcazar,  Ruminagui  set  fire  to  the  town,  and 
evacuated  it  with  the  rest  of  his  army.  Some  say  he 
carried  the  treasure  away  with  him  ; others,  that  he 
buried  it  at  Quito  before  he  left  the  city.  And  here 
our  legend  begins  : — 

Hualca,  a partisan  and  follower  of  Ruminagui,  was 
one  of  the  officers  who  superintended  the  burying  of 
the  treasure.  In  this  he  was  assisted  by  his  son  Ca- 
tuna, a boy  of  tender  age.  After  the  town  had  com- 
menced to  burn,  a wall,  near  which  Hualca’s  party 
had  been  at  work,  fell  in,  apparently  crushing  the 
child,  so  that  his  father  left  him,  supposing  him  to  be 
dead.  Catuna,  however,  escaped,  and  was  taken  care 
of  by  one  of  the  Spaniards,  who  entered  Quito  im- 
mediately after  Ruminagui  had  left  it!  The  boy’s 
injuries  were  so  severe  that  his  features  remained 
distorted  and  his  limbs  dislocated,  and  he  became  a 
hunchback  of  frightful  ugliness.  He  was  at  last  taken 
into  the  service  of  a Captain  Hernan  Suarez,  who 


144  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


took  a fancy  to  the  poor  cripple,  taught  him  to  read 
and  write,  and  instructed  him  in  the  doctrines  of  the 
Christian  religion.  Suarez,  having  been  unfortunate 
in  his  speculations,  soon  afterwards  was  reduced  to 
great  distress,  and  about  to  sell  his  house  in  order  to 
meet  the  claims  of  some  of  his  most  pressing  creditors, 
when  Catuna  told  him  to  have  a secret  vault  con- 
structed under  his  residence,  and  to  furnish  it  with  all 
the  implements  necessary  for  smelting  gold ; adding, 
that  he  was  able  and  willing  to  give  him  enough  of 
the  precious  metal  in  bars,  but  that  he  would  not  let 
him  see  it  in  its  original  form.  He  also  made  his 
master  promise  never  to  reveal  to  any  body  from 
whom  he  had  received  it.  Suarez  complied  with 
these  instructions,  and  soon  became  a rich  man.  A 
great  part  of  the  wealth  which  his  servant  had  be- 
stowed on  him,  he  applied  to  charitable  and  religious 
purposes,  and  when  he  died,  in  1550,  leaving  neither 
wife  nor  children,  he  made  Catuna  heir  of  his  real  and 
personal  property. 

In  the  mean  time,  the  change  in  the  circumstances 
of  Suarez  had  aroused  suspicion.  It  was  surmised  by 
many  that  he  owed  his  sudden  unaccountable  pros- 
perity to  Catuna,  the  ugly  Indian  imp  who  served 
him.  This  suspicion  was  confirmed  by  the  great  sums 
of  money  which  Catuna  subsequently  bestowed  on 
churches  and  convents,  and  distributed  among  the 
poor.  He  was  taken  into  custody,  and  required  to 
declare  from  what  source  he  had  derived  his  wealth. 
The  Indian  knew  well  enough  that,  should  he  declare 
the  truth,  his  riches  would  be  seized  upon  by  the  first 
conquerors,  who  considered  any  part  of  the  treasure 
of  Atahuallpa  as  their  lawful  spoils.  He,  therefore, 
resorted  to  a most  daring  stratagem.  He  said  it  was 


CATUNA’S  PACT  WITH  THE  DEVIL. 


145 


true  that  he  had  been  the  benefactor  of  Suarez,  and  a 
great  many  others,  but  that  he  could  have  as  much 
gold  as  he  wanted,  having  made  a compact  with  the 
Evil  One,  to  whom  he  had  sold  his  soul.  Under 
other  circumstances,  this  confession  would  not  have 
improved  his  case,  and  he  would  probably  have  been 
dispatched  by  the  tribunals  of  the  Inquisition ; but  his 
munificent  generosity  had  gained  him  the  good-will  of 
the  priests  and  rabble,  and  probably  of  his  own  judges, 
who  did  not  wish  to  dry  up  the  source  from  which  so 
much  liberality  flowed.  They  affected  to  pity  his 
misery,  and  set  him  free.  His  statement  was  the 
more  readily  credited,  as  the  Indians  were  then  gen- 
erally believed  to  have  intercourse  with  the  Prince 
of  Darkness.  Many  of  the  priests,  and  especially  the 
Franciscans,  exhorted  him  to  renounce  his  pact  with 
the  Devil  and  make  his  peace  with  the  Lord  ; but  he 
remained  unmoved,  and  insisted  that  he  wanted  to 
have  gold  as  long  as  he  lived.  “ Secretly,”  says 
Father  Velasco,  the  chronicler  of  Quito,  he  “ laughed 
at  the  exhortations  of  the  monks,  being  at  heart  a good 
Christian  and  extremely  devoted  to  the  sufferings  of  the 
most  holy  Virgin  ” (“  Sumamente  devoto  de  los  dolores 
de  la  Santisima  Virgen”).  After  his  death,  his  prem- 
ises were  searched,  and  with  considerable  difficulty  the 
vault  was  discovered,  with  a great  quantity  of  gold  in 
ingots,  bars,  and  in  vessels,  and  the  tools  with  which 
Suarez  had  provided  him.  Still  the  people  continued 
to  believe  in  the  story  of  his  pact  with  the  Evil  One, 
“and  the  truth,”  adds  Father  Velasco,  “would  never 
have  been  discovered,  if  it  had  not  been  for  a Francis- 
can monk  who  had  secretly  been  his  confessor,  and,  on 
his  death,  left  a written  account  of  what  Catuna  had 
confided  to  him.” 


10 


146  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


One  square  from  the  Church  of  San  Francisco  is  the 
nunnery  of  Santa  Clara,  in  the  rear  of  which  we  find 
a chapel  which  bears  the  significant  name,  La  Capilla 
del  Hobo  (the  Chapel  of  the  Robbery),  which  is  said  to 
owe  its  foundation  to  the  following  miracle  : — 

O 


A great  load  of  valuable  merchandise  was  once  on 
the  way  to  Quito,  when,  in  the  outskirts  of  the  city, 
a band  of  robbers  attacked  the  caravan,  drove  away 
the  arrieros  and  seized  the  goods,  which  they  hid  in  a 
house  near  the  convent  of  Santa  Clara.  Some  time 
afterwards, •when  the  mules  which  had  carried  the 
goods  were  driven  past  that  house,  they  suddenly  fell 
on  their  knees  and  would  not  move  until  the  stolen 
articles  had  been  discovered.  To  commemorate  this 
event,  a chapel  was  built  on  the  spot  where  it  is  sup- 
posed to  have  happened. 

Ar^£e w squares  west  of  Santa  Clara  is  the  parish 
church  of  San  Roque,  in  which  flagellation  is  practiced 
by  the  women  almost  every  Tuesday  and  Friday  even- 
ing. These  performances  are  exceedingly  interesting, 
although  they  take  place  in  the  dark.  Males  are  not 
admitted.  Through  the  kindness  of  the  curate,  how- 
ever, with  whom  I was  personally  befriended,  I was 
allowed  to  enter  the  church  unobserved,  and  to  listen 
to  the  proceedings,  which  are  as  follows  : Toward  sun- 
down, the  curate  preaches  a short  sermon  or  reads  a 
moral  lesson,  and  then  leaves  the  church  in  utter  dark- 
ness. The  organist  then  plays  a Miserere , the  women 
bare  their  backs  and  lash  them  with  cowhides,  to  which 
sometimes  small  pieces  of  iron  or  other  hard  substances 
are  attached.  When  this  discipline  is  over,  they  de- 
part in  silence.  The  blood  sprinkled  over  the  stone 
floor  and  on  the  walls,  betokens  the  eager  earnestness 
of  their  devotion.  I should  endeavor  in  vain  to  de- 


INTERESTING  MODES  OF  PENANCE. 


147 


scribe  my  sensations  while,  lost  in  impenetrable  dark- 
ness, I stood  in  the  old  church  a silent  listener.  The 
solemn  tune  played  by  the  organist,  who  chanted  the 
accompaniment  in  a subdued  key  of  voice,  was  inter- 
rupted only  by  the  dreadful  sounds  which  the  lashes 
produced  on  the  bare  backs,  and  which  were  reverber- 
ated from  the  high  walls  of  the  building,  while  now 
and  then  a sigh  would  mournfully  steal  through  the 

O t / O 

darkness. 

Similar  exercises  take  place  every  Lent  in  the  Tejar , 
or  Recoleta  de  la  Merced,  a branch  institution  of  the 
Order  of  Mercy.  The  Tejar  is  situate  at  a short  dis- 
tance .west  of  the  city,  which  it  overlooks.  It  is  the 
building  where  the  last  President  of  the  Royal  Audi- 
ence,  Count  Ruiz  de  Castilla,  had  taken  refuge,  before 
he  was  taken  out  and  murdered  by  the  populace  in 
1810.  It  contains  a convent,  a church,  a cemetery, 
and  a number  of  out-houses  for  the  accommodation 
of  penitents.  These  out-houses  are  divided  into  dark 
cells  — regular  prisons  — spacious  enough  for  three 
or  four  inmates  each.  During  Lent,  men  and  women 
alternate  in  the  occupation  of  these  buildings.  The 
penitents  are  required  to  remain  in  this  retreat  nine 
full  days.  Ladies  and  gentlemen  of  the  first  families 
thus  deprive  themselves  of  all  intercourse  with  the 
outer  world  for  more  than  a week,  in  order  to  atone 
for  their  shortcomings  and  frailties.  During  this 
voluntary  imprisonment,  they  rise  at  three  o’clock  in 
the  morning  and  go  to  bed  at  nine  o’clock  in  the  even- 
ing  ; mass  is  said  for  them  in  the  adjoining  church, 
from  which  they  return  to  the  cam  de  ejercicios.  In 
the  evenings  they  go  to  church  again  to  hear  sermons 
preached,  after  which  the  process  of  flagellation  be- 
gins. I have  seen  the  walls  and  the  stone  floor  of  the 


148  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


church  and  transepts  sprinkled  all  over  with  the  blood 
of  the  disciplinarians.  The  refectory  (dining-hall)  is 
hung  with  paintings,  most  of  which  represent  hell  with 
its  torments.  Men,  around  whose  bodies  snakes  have 
coiled,  lacerating  them  with  their  kings  ; dragons  tear- 
ing  the  flesh  from  the  bones  of  the  doomed;  fiery 
devils  biting  and  torturing  them  ; rats  gnawing  away 
at  their  legs ; demons  pinching  them  with  red-hot 
tongs ; and  other  fearful  scenes  on  the  canvas,  remind 
the  poor  penitents,  whose  nerves  are  wrought  to  the 
highest  possible  state  of  excitement,  of  what  might  be 
in  store  for  them.  When  they  leave  the  establishment 
at  the  expiration  of  their  nine  days’  retirement,  their 
friends  receive  them  at  the  door,  after  which  they 
have  to  pass  through  crowds  of  sight-seers,  who  have 
come  from  the  city  to  gaze  at  them. 

In  the  neighborhood  of  the  Tejar,  the  scene  of  the 

following  romantic  legend  is  laid  : — 

© © 

Many  years  after  the  conquest  (the  exact  time,  of 
course,  is  not  stated),  a Spaniard  made  love  to  a young 
Indian  girl,  who  was  proof  against  his  seductive  ad- 
vances, but  told  him  that  if  he  should  marry  her,  she 
would  make  him  the  richest  man  in  the  country.  To 
convince  her  incredulous  lover  of  the  truth  of  her  as- 
sertions, she  cited  him  to  await  her  the  following  night 
at  a certain  place  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Tejar, 
and  made  him  give  her  a solemn  promise  to  do  noth- 
ing but  what  she  would  command.  The  girl  made 
her  appearance  at  the  appointed  time,  and  the  first 
thing  she  required,  was  that  he  should  submit  to  be 
blindfolded.  She  then  led  him  up  the  mountain  and 
through  several  ravines,  until  they  reached  the  mys- 
terious end  of  their  journey.  When  the  bandage  was 
taken  from  his  eyes,  the  Spaniard  found  himself  in  a 


ANOTHER  ROMANTIC  LEGEND. 


149 


cave.  “ There,  behold  ! ” said  the  girl,  who  had 
lighted  a torch,  “ this  is  the  gold  I promised  thee ! ” 

The  Spaniard,  amazed  and  enraptured,  beheld  an 
immense  quantity  of  gold  in  vessels  and  in  bars,  — 
the  treasures  of  Ataliuallpa  buried  by  the  usurper 
Rumihagui,  before  he  evacuated  Quito. 

“ All  this  shall  be  thine,”  continued  the  girl,  “if 
thou  wilt  marry  me.  But,  silence  and  good  faith  ! ” 

The  greedy  Spaniard  attempted  to  seize  some  of  the 
pieces  that  were  near  him,  but  the  girl  warned  him 
off.  “ Not  yet,”  she  said  ; “ if  thou  attemptest  vio- 
lence, or  touchest  any  of  the  things  around  thee,  thou 
Jeavest  not  this  cave,  but  thy  grave  will  be  with  these 
treasures  ! ” 

Cowed  by  the  resolution  of  the  girl,  the  Spaniard 
again  submitted  to  be  blindfolded,  and  was  led  away. 
Upon  his  return  to  Quito,  he  immediately  informed 
the  authorities  of  his  adventure,  and  an  order  was 
issued  for  the  arrest  of  the  girl  and  all  her  family. 
But  the  eye  of  love  and  distrust  had  watched  his 
steps.  The  Indians  of  those  days  were  well  aware 
that  the  torture  and  the  rack  awaited  those  of  their 
race  who  should  be  suspected  of  knowing  the  secret  of 
hidden  treasures.  When  the  officers  of  the  government 
entered  the  humble  dwelling  of  the  Indian,  the  girl, 
with  all  her  family,  had  fled,  and  with  their  disappear- 
ance died  the  last  lingering  hope  of  discovering  the 
great  treasures  of  Ataliuallpa.  Relata  refero  ! 

The  tenacity  with  which  the  Indian  can  keep  a 
secret,  especially  when  it  affects  his  race,  is  indeed 
remarkable.  Neither  the  rack  nor  fear  of  death  can 
wring  a confession  from  his  sealed  lips.  Superstitious 
as  he  is,  he  will  even  be  proof  against  the  threats  and 
remonstrances  of  his  confessor.  When  he  is  deter- 


150  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


mined  not  to  reveal  a secret,  he  will  die  protesting 
his  ignorance  to  the  very  last.  When  Tupac  Amaru, 
the  great  martyr  of  the  Indian  race,  prepared  his  re- 
bellion against  the  Peruvian  authorities  in  1780,  he 
sent  emissaries  to  all  the  neighboring  provinces.  His 
agents  were  at  work  in  what  now  constitutes  Ecua- 
dor, Peru,  and  Bolivia.  On  a given  day  there  was 
to  be  a general  rising  of  the  Indians  throughout  the 
viceroyalty  of  Peru.  But  many  of  his  emissaries 
could  neither  read  nor  write,  nor  had  the  people  he  in- 
tended to  influence  any  idea  of  dates.  Each  of  the 
principal  conspirators,  therefore,  received  a bundle  of 
small  sticks,  of  which  one  was  to  be  taken  out  and 
burned  every  day.  When  the  last  stick  was  burned,  the 
great  day  had  arrived,  and  the  Indians  rose  in  a mass 
from  the  southern  confines  of  Peru  to  the  northern 
frontiers  of  Tuquerres  and  Pasto.  None  had  betrayed 
the  secret.  Of  so  many  thousand  co-conspirators,  not 
one  had  broken  faith.  Like  a thunderbolt  from  a 
cloudless  sky,  the  formidable  avalanche  of  a powerful 
sublevation  broke  upon  the  unsuspecting  Spaniards.1 

But  let  us  return  to  the  Tejar,  which  is  one  of  the 

1 Ulloa  gives  an  interesting  and  correct  account  of  the  manner  in  which 
the  Indians  go  through  confession  in  church : — 

“ On  their  coming  to  the  confessor,  which  is  always  at  his  summons,  he 
is  obliged  to  instruct  them  in  what  they  are  going  about,  and  with  them  re- 
peat the  Confiteor  from  one  end  to  the  other,  for  if  he  stops,  the  Indian  also 
remains  silent.  Having  gone  through  this,  it  is  not  enough  for  the  priest  to 
ask  him  whether  he  has  committed  this  or  that  fault;  but  if  he  be  one  of  the 
common  sort,  he  must  affirm  that  he  has  committed  it,  otherwise  the  Indian 
would  deny  every  thing.  The  priest  further  is  obliged  to  tell  him  that  he 
well  knows  he  has  committed  the  sin.  and  he  has  proofs  of  it.  Then  the 
Indian,  being  thus  pressed,  answers  with  great  astonishment,  that  it  is  so; 
and,  imagining  the  priest  really  endued  with  some  supernatural  knowl- 
edge, adds  circumstances  which  had  not  been  asked  him.  It  is  not  only 
difficult  to  bring  them  to  declare  their  faults,  but  even  to  keep  them  from 
denying  them,  though  publicly  committed,  and  equally  so  to  prevail  on 
them  to  determine  the  number;  this  being  only  to  be  obtained  by  finesse ,■ 
and  then  little  stress  is  to  be  laid  on  what  they  say.” 


MODES  OF  BURIAL. 


151 


two  principal  burying-places.  The  other  is  the  Pan - 
teon  de  San  Diego , most  beautifully  and  picturesquely 
situated  on  one  of  the  slopes  of  Pichincha,  at  a short 
distance  from  the  city.  Burials  do  not  take  place  in 
daytime,  but  at  night.  The  corpse  is  accompanied  by 
torch-bearers.  The  number  of  torches,  however,  is 
now  by  law  limited  to  twelve.  The  reason  of  this 
limitation  was  the  fearful  expense  which  fashionable 
burials  used  to  cause.  One  wealthy  family  could  not 
bury  its  dead  in  a less  stylish  or  pompous  manner  than 
other  wealthy  families,  and  hence  it  was  customary  to 
employ  all  the  different  hermandades  (burial  brother- 
hoods) to  carry  tapers,  chant  responsos , and  accompany 
the  body  to  its  resting-place.  For  these  services  the 
most  exorbitant  fees  were  exacted  by  the  friars.  1 
was  assured  that  thousands  were  thus  squandered  on  a 
fashionable  funeral. 

The  Indians  and  other  indigent  people  bury  their  chil- 
dren after  a very  curious  fashion.  They  hire  an  angel’s 
suit  and  other  ornaments  in  a church  or  convent,  trick 
up  the  dead  body,  place  it  on  a chair  in  a sitting  pos- 
ture, and  carry  it  about  in  procession  before  they  take 
it  to  the  grave-yard.  Before  interring  the  corpse,  they 
take  off  the  gaudy  tinsel,  which  must  be  returned  to 
its  owners.  As  a general  rule,  only  the  poor  people 
are  buried  in  the  ground,  and  without  a mound  or  a 
cross  to  indicate  their  resting-place.  The  wealthier 
classes  wall  up  their  dead  in  semicircular  niches,  con- 
structed for  this  purpose  in  brick  terraces  of  several 
stories,  with  generally  three  or  four  rows  of  niches  in 
one  terrace.  As  the  number  of  these  niches  is  neces- 
sarily limited,  the  remains,  unless  an  additional  pay- 
ment is  made  to  the  u hermandad,”  are  taken  out  after 
the  lapse  of  two  years,  and  the  bones  are  thrown  into 


152  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


a deep  cistern  covered  with  a stone  lid,  while  the 
coffins  are  burned.  On  the  walls  of  the  terraces 
black  crosses  are  painted  at  short  distances  from  each 
other,  indicative  of  the  sufferings  of  Christ  on  his 
journey  to  Calvary.  Before  these  crosses  the  rela- 
tives of  the  dead,  especially  the  women,  kneel  down 
and  say  their  prayers  on  All  Souls’  Day,  when  the 
cemeteries  are  crowded  with  men,  women,  and  chil- 
dren. 

When  the  last  sacraments  are  to  be  administered  to  a 
dying  person  of  note,  his  friends  and  relatives,  carrying 
lighted  tapers,  meet  at  the  nearest  church,  from  which 
they  issue  in  procession,  followed  by  monks  chanting 
hymns.  A boy  ringing  a bell  leads  the  procession  ; 
another  boy  carries  the  box  containing  the  sacred  im- 
plements ; he  is  followed  by  a priest  who,  sometimes 
supported  by  two  assistants,  carries  the  majestad  (a 
crucifix  with  the  Eucharist).  He  walks  under  a 
baldachin  carried  by  Indians  or  negroes.  The  balda- 
chin is  sometimes  very  shabby,  and  carried  by  one 
man,  in  which  case  it  resembles  a big  umbrella;  but 
it  is  very  rich  and*  gorgeous,  and  carried  by  four  men, 
when  one  of  the  high  dignitaries  of  the  church 
marches  under  it.  When  the  majestad  appears  in  the 
streets,  the  people  kneel  down,  and  generally  remain 
on  their  knees  as  long  as  the  procession  is  in  sight. 

Funeral  processions,  however,  are  not  so  pompous 
and  attractive  as  the  pageantry  of  holiday  processions. 
These  latter,  indeed,  are  the  great  sights  to  be  seen  at 
Quito.  The  greatest  extravagance  is  displayed  on 
such  occasions.  Wooden  or  wax  figures  of  the  Virgin, 
the  saints,  and  martyrs,  some  of  which  are  of  fright- 
ful ugliness,  are  carried  on  heavy  platforms,  resting  on 
the  shoulders  of  Indians.  The  windows  and  balconies 


HOLY  WEEK.  — JESUITS. 


153 


before  which  the  procession  passes,  are  hung  with 
costly  shawls  and  drapery,  and  the  ladies  whq  adorn 
them  throw  rose  leaves  on  the  procession  below.  Two 
or  three  men,  with  baskets  full  of  rose  leaves  and 
flowers,  often  head  the  procession,  and  strew  the  road 
before  it.  Respectable  ladies,  dressed  in  black,  and 
carrying  tapers,  march  along  with  the  rabble,  which 
brings  up  the  rear,  or  crowds  around  them  praying  or 
chanting.  Musicians  are  always  engaged  for  the  oc- 
casion. At  great  festivals  the  procession  is  enlivened 
by  the  military  bands,  and  a turn-out  of  the  military. 
Banners  and  flags  are  displayed,  and  the  eye  is  dazzled 
by  the  immense  value  of  the  jewelry  which  covers  the 
images  of  the  Virgin.  Praying  and  chanting,  the  pro- 
cession moves  on,  while,  the  bells  are  tolling  and  guns 
are  firing — praying  and  chanting,  perhaps,  the  same 
words  and  the  same  tunes  with  which  the  victims  of 
the  Spanish  Inquisition  were  led  out  to  the  terrible 
wood-pile  which  was  to  consume  them: 

Toward  the  end  of  Lent,  and  especially  during 
Semana  Santa  (Holy  Week),  the  whole  female  popula- 
tion of  Quito  is  in  motion.  Swarms  of  women,  with 
their  shawls  thrown  over  their  heads,  and  followed  by 
little  girls  carrying  the  carpets  on  which  their  mis- 
tresses kneel  in  the  benchless  churches,  are  seen  going 
to  and  "from  the  churches  three  times  a day,  if  not 
oftener.  There  is  a sermon  at  four  or  five  o’clock  in 
the  morning,  a sermon  at  two  in  the  afternoon,  and 
another  at  five  or  six  in  the  evening.  The  church  of 
the  Jesuits,  La  Compania , usually  drawls  the  largest 
crowds.  It  is  astonishing  to  witness  the  activity  which 
the  Jesuits  display.  At  three  and  four  o’clock  in  the 
morning  they  are  in  the  confessional ; later  in  the  day 
they  preach  sermons  or  say  masses  ; still  later  they 


154  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS: 


teacli  at  their  college,  or  receive  visitors  ; and  so  on 
until  late  in  the  evening- 

On  Holy  Thursday  night  all  the  churches  in  Quito 
are  illuminated.  Thousands  of  candles  are  lighted 
around  the  principal  altars.  The  church  and  side 
chapels  of  St.  Francisco  blaze  in  an  ocean  of  light. 
The  convent  churches  on  that  occasion  vie  with  each 
other  in  luxury  and  splendor.  Dense  throngs  of  hu- 
manity, especially  women,  flock  from  one  church  to 
^ another  to  gaze  and  to  pray.  According  to  a pretty 
general  superstition,  seven  churches  must  be  visited  in 
order  to  make  these  pious  visits  available  on  high. 
The  women,  as  soon  as  they  enter,  kneel  down  and 
commence  to  rattle  off  their  prayers  in  a perfectly  au- 
dible tone  of  voice,  each  murmuring  away  on  her  own 
account,  and  without  heeding  the  devotions  of  her 
neighbor.  A low  humming  and  buzzing  noise,  pro- 
duced by  this  confused  chorus  of  females,  greets  you 
on  your  entrance,  but  nothing  is  intelligible  except  an 
occasional  “ Santa  Maria”  which  is  pronounced  with 
particular  emphasis.  — Santa  Maria  here,  Santa  Maria 
there,  Santa  Maria  on  all  sides,  as  you  squeeze  your 
way  through  the  kneeling  multitudes.  On  these  oc- 
casions I saw  exhibitions  of  strange  devotion.  I saw 
men  who  knelt  with  their  arms  stretched  out,  as  if  to 
receive  the  Holy  Ghost.  They  remained  in  this  dif- 
ficult posture  until  they  had  murmured  olf  the  requi- 
site number  of  Paternosters  and  Ave  Marias. 

On  Good  Friday,  at  twelve  o’clock,  a sermon  of 
- three  hours  is  preached  in  all  the  churches,  to  repre- 
sent la  o.gonia  de  tres  horas  (the  three  hours’  agony  of 
the  Saviour).  It  is  again  attended  chiefly  by  women. 
In  the  evening  a descendimiento  is  represented  in  at 
least  one  of  the  principal  churches.  It  consists  of  a 


PUPPET-SHOW  IN  CHURCH. 


155 


sermon 


saw 

and 


illustrated  by  a regular  puppet-show.  I 
one  in  the  Church  of  San  Francisco  in  1862, 
another  at  Santa  Clara  in  1863.  On  both  occasions 
the  same  monk,  a Franciscan,  preached  literally  th 
same  sermon.  On  the  platform  of  the  altar  a woode 
image  of  Christ  hung  on  the  cross  between  the  two 
thieves.  Before  the  cross  knelt  the  Virgin  and  Mary 
Magdalen ; in  the  foreground  was  a painted  chest  or 
box  with  a movable  lid,  representing  the  tomb.  The 
monk  began  by  delivering  a glowing  description  de  las 
siete  dolor es  de  la  Virgin  (of  the  seven  griefs  of  the 
Virgin).  He  compared  the  grief  of  Mary  to  the  grief 
felt  by  Abraham  when  commanded  by  the  Lord  to  sac- 
rifice his  son  Isaac.  An  angel  interposed  between 
the  victim  and  the  father’s  knife  ; but  who  interposed 
between  the  despair  of  Mary  and  her  bleeding  son  ? 
The  Mother  of  God  anxiously  waited  for  a miracle  by 
which  her  son  might  be  saved  ; but  no  such  miracle 
wrought.  Great,  the  monk  continued,  was  the 


was 


grief  of  Jacob  when  he  was  shown  the  bloody  garment 
of  his  son  Joseph  ; but  greater  was  the  grief  of  the 
Virgin,  because  Jacob  had  other  sons  left,  while  Mary 
had  but  one.  In  this  strain  he  went  on,  continually 
quoting  the  fathers  in  bad  Latin,  which  the  multitude 
that  eagerly  hung  on  his  lips  was  fortunately  unable  to 
appreciate.  At  last  the  show  began.  He  told  the 
santos  barones  (holy  men),  who  were  in  attendance,  to 
mount  the  ladder  and  take  down  the  holy  corpse. 


This  was  the  signal  for  such 

O 

sobbing  of  women  and  children  as  I never  had  heard 


a collective  wailing  and 

o 


before.  They  all  raised  their  voices  at  once,  and 
shrieked  and  sobbed  in  a most  bewildering  manner, 
while  the  santos  barones , a few  lay  brothers,  were 
taking  down  the  wooden  figure,  which  sunk  its  arms 


156  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


and  hung  its  head,  as  if  it  were  a real  corpse.  The 
preacher  then  raised  his  voice  to  its  highest  possible 
pitch,  to  be  heard  above  the  frantic  sobs  and  groans  of 
the  women.  He  told  the  actors  to  turn  the  corpse 
around,  so  as  to  show  its  bleeding  back.  The  santos 
barones  obeyed,  and  exhibited  the  back  of  Christ, 
lacerated  by  the  lashes  of  the  Romans.  This  sight 
increased  the  grief  of  the  women  and  children,  whose 
wailing  almost  drowned  the  voice  of  the  preacher.  At 
the  same  time,  the  figures  which  represented  the  Vir- 
gin and  Mary  Magdalen,  which  were  stuck  on  pivots 
and  managed  from  under  the  stage,  commenced  to 
move.  Mary  Magdalen  clasped  her  hands,  while  the 
Virgin  was  wiping  her  eyes  with  a handkerchief.  But 
when  the  box  representing  the  tomb  was  opened,  and 
the  corpse  deposited  in  it,  the  two  puppets  rushed  to 
the  grave  and  fell  down  before  it,  while  the  voice  of 
the  preacher  was  heard  roaring  above  the  sobs  and 
shrieks  of  the  audience.  The  church  was  so  crowded 
that  it  was  impossible  for  me  to  move  backward  or 
forward.  While  the  monk  told  his  hearers  that  for 
them  and  for  their  sins  all  this  had  come  to  pass,  some- 
body abstracted  my  handkerchief  from  my  pocket,  and 
a simultaneous  attempt  was  made  on  my  watch,  which, 
however,  I succeeded  in  defending. 

As  soon  as  the  multitude  rushed  from  the  church,  it 
became  apparent  what  little  moral  effect  the  farce  had 
produced.  Men  and  women  elbowed  each  other  with 
reckless  violence  ; vile  curses  resounded  on  the  very 
threshold  of  the  temple;  little  children  were  trodden 
down  and  trampled  upon  ; old  women  were  pushed 
from  the  steps  in  front  of  the  church ; and  numberless 
pockets  were  picked. 

The  people  of  Quito,  who  have  nothing  to  do,  and 


MORALITY  OF  THE  CLERGY. 


157 


nothing  to  see,  look  upon  the  church  as  on  a theatre  or 
a concert  room.  It  is  not  only  their  place  of  religious 
worship,  but  the  place  where  they  spend  most  of  their 
leisure  time.  It  furnishes  them  with  amusement  and 
excitement,  and  breaks  the  monotony  of  their  daily 
life.  Is  it  strange,  then,  that  they  delight  in  a religion 
which  gives  them  images  and  mimical  representations  ? 

Idolatry  has  been  the  great  offshoot  of  Spanish 
Catholicism,  and  is  carried  on  to  a disgusting  extent  in 
the  countries  colonized  by  Spain.  In  the  Church  of 
San  Augustine,  at  Quito,  the  image  of  the  Senor  de 
la  Porteria  is  kept  and  reverently  worshiped.  To 
give  a literal  translation  of  the  u Senor  de  la  Porteria,” 
I would  have  to  say,  “the  Lord  who  is  carried  about.” 
It  is  a life-sized  image  of  Christ,  seated  on  a chair,  in 
which  he  is  carried  about,  not  only  in  Quito,  but  all 
over  the  country.  In  1863  the  Augustine  friars  were 
in  need  of  money  to  repair  the  cupola  of  their  church, 
which  had  been  sadly  damaged  by  the  earthquake  of 
1859.  The  interior  being  poor,  and  the  faithful  heav- 
ily taxed  by  many  other  ecclesiastical  exigencies,  the 
“ Senor  de  la  Porteria  ” was  sent  to  the  coast,  and  re 
turned  after  having  reaped  a golden  harvest  in  the 
districts  of  Guayaquil,  Bodegas,  and  Manabi.  The 
cupola  was  consequently  repaired. 

On  Christmas  Eve,  at  twelve  o’clock  at  night,  a 
mass  is  chanted  in  the  principal  churches,  which  is 
called  misa  de  gallos  (cock-mass),  and  attended  bv 
immense  multitudes,  especially,  however,  by  young 
girls  and  their  lovers,  whom  neither  the  inclemency  of 
the  weather  nor  the  unseasonable  hour  could  induce  to 
forego  {he  excitement  of  such  a mass. 

To  dwell  on  the  morality  of  the  clergy,  especially, 
however,  of  the  monks,  would  be  a work  of  superero- 


158  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISII-AMERICANS. 


gation.  It  is  a repetition  of  the  story  of  the  Middle 
'Ages,  as  the  same  causes  will  always  produce  the  same 
effects.  The  monks  of  Quito  are  ignorant  in  the  ex- 
treme. Their  knowledge  of  the  Latin,  which  they  are 
required  to  study,  is  exceedingly  poor.  History  or 
science  is  unknown  to  them.  Their  libraries  are  in 
a sad  state  of  desolation.  The  books  are  covered  with 
thick  layers  of  dust  and  cobwebs,  or  thrown  together 
promiscuously  in  heaps.  They  are  never  consulted  by 
those  for  whose  benefit  they  were  originally  collected. 
The  chief  occupation  of  the  monks  is  to  visit  their 
friends  or  relatives ; to  keep  women  in  the  outskirts  of 
the  city ; to  sing,  drink,  and  dance.  In  1863  a friar 
was  arrested  by  the  police  at  one  or  two  o’clock  in  the 
morning,  for  having  been  concerned  in  a row  in  one  of 
the  most  disreputable  streets  of  the  city.  He  was  in 
plain  citizen’s  dress  to  disguise  his  ecclesiastical  state. 
After  having  passed  the  remainder  of  the  night  in 
prison,  he  was  taken  before  the  President,  who  at  that 
time  was  quarreling  with  Congress  about  certain  ques- 
tions of  monastic  reform.  The  President  immediately 
sent  the  poor  fellow,  dressed  as  he  was,  to  the  senate 
chamber,  as  a living  illustration  of  the  necessity  of 
conferring  additional  power  on  the  ecclesiastical  tri- 
bunals — a proposition  which  Congress  strenuously 
opposed.  The  Senate,  not  knowing  what  to  do  with 
the  living  document,  referred  him  to  the  committee  on 
ecclesiastical  affairs,  who  discharged  him. 

It  is  a matter  of  common  occurrence  to  see  monks 
in  disguise  go  “ on  a spree,”  and  revel  for  several 
nights  in  succession.  They  frequently  select  the  dis- 
guise of  a soldier,  and  often  are  known  to  conpnit  vio- 
lent excesses.  I could  relate  numerous  instances  to 
show  the  vices  and  immorality  of  the  monks  of  Quito ; 


REVENUES  AND  FEES  OF  TEIE  CLERGY. 


159 


but  the  subject  is  only  disgusting,  and  does  not  present 
any  new  feature  which  could  make  it  interesting. 

The  curates,  especially  those  in  the  country,  are  but 
little  better  than  the  monks.  President  Garcia  Mo- 
reno, who,  in  the  beginning  of  his  administration, 
seriously  endeavored  to  reform  the  clergy,  refused,  in 
1861,  to  sanction  several  archiepiscopal  appointments 
of  new  curates.  He  represented  to  the  archbishop 
that  the  individuals  whom  he  had  selected  were  noto- 
rious gamblers  and  libertines.  The  archbishop,  how- 
ever, replied,  that  all  men  had  their  foibles,  and  that 
it  would  be  wrong  to  be  too  harsh  toward  an  erring 
brother. 

Besides  the  Cathedral  and  parish  churches,  there 
are  the  following  convents : San  Domingo,  with  a 
branch  institution,  or  Recoleta ; San  Francisco,  with 
the  Recoleta  of  San  Diego ; San  Camilo ; San  Augus- 
tin, with  the  Recoleta  of  San  Juan;  and  the  Convent 
of  the  Jesuits. 

There  are  six  nunneries,  namely:  Concepcion,  San- 
ta Clara,  Carmen-Alto,  Carmen-Bajo,  Santa  Catalina, 
and  the  Congregation  of  the  Hearts  of  Jesus  and 
Mary.  The  total  number  of  priests,  monks,  and  nuns 
at  Quito  exceeds  four  hundred,  which  does  not  in- 
clude the  novices,  servants,  and  familiars. 

The  convents  subsist  on  the  revenues  which  they 
derive  from  their  estates ; the  bishops  and  chapters  of 
cathedrals  are  supported  by  the  diezmos , or  tithes,  an 
unbearable  burden  resting  on  the  agriculture  of  the 
country ; while  the  curates  are  only  entitled  to  fees 
and  primicias , or  sevenths. 

The  amount  of  the  fees  which  must  be  paid  to  the 
church  and  curates  for  solemnizing  marriages  and  per- 
forming other  religious  ceremonies,  depends  on  the 


1G0  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH- AMERICANS. 


color  or  race  of  the  applicants.  For  this  purpose,  the 
faithful  are  divided  into  three  classes,  as  follows : — 

First  class : the  descendants  of  Spaniards,  or  white 
men. 

Second  class : the  Montaneses,  Mestizos,  or  Cholos. 

Third  class  : Indians  and  Negroes. 

For  solemnizing  marriages  the  first  class  pays  ten 
dollars,  the  second  class  six  dollars,  and  the  third  class 
three  dollars.  For  burials,  the  first  class  twenty  dol- 
lars, the  second  six  dollars,  and  the  third  three  dollars. 
Derechos  de  acompanamento , or  fees  for  accompanying 
the  body,  are,  for  persons  of  the  first  class,  four  dol- 
lars ; of  the  second  class,  two  dollars ; and  of  the  third 
class,  one  dollar.  In  addition  to  this,  there  must  be 
responses,  or  prayers,  which  are  sung  over  the  body, 
recommending  the  soul  to  God.  They  consist  of  a 
Paternoster  and  an  oracion  (supplication),  and  cost  one 
real  each.  If  they  are  not  chanted,  but  simply  spoken, 
four  of  them  are  given  for  one  medio  (one  half  of  a 
real).  They  are  either  said  in  the  church  or  at  the 
cemetery.  Those  who  pay  twenty  dollars  get  four 
responsos,  one  misa  cantada  (mass  chanted),  one  vi- 
fjilict,  and  generally  receive  their  acompanamento 
gratis.  Persons  of  the  second  and  third  classes  must 
pay  extra  for  all  these  services. 

These  are  the  fees  to  which  the  curate  is  entitled ; 
but  there  are  additional  fees  which  must  be  paid  to  the 
Church  on  such  occasions.  They  are  called  fabrica 
de  iglesia,  and  are  applied  to  the  payment  of  the 
organist  and  the  singers,  for  sweeping  the  building, 
and  for  buying  wax,  wine,  and  other  properties.  They 
are  as  follows : for  burials  of  the  first  class,  one  dollar 
and  fifty  cents ; of  the  second  class,  one  dollar ; of  the 
third  class,  four  reals.  For  marriages  of  the  first  and 


DISTINCTIONS  OF  CASTE. 


161 


second  classes,  one  dollar  ; of  tlie  third  class,  four  reals. 
For  burying  children  under  ten  years  of  age  the  charges 
are  less.  The  curate  takes  for  burying  children  of  the 
first  class  six  dollars ; of  the  second,  three  dollars ; of 
the  third,  one  dollar.  To  the  Church  must  be  paid, 
for  children  of  the  first  class  one  dollar ; of  the  second 
class,  four  reals  ; and  of  the  third  class,  two  reals. 
These  fees  are  independent  of  the  charge  for  the  bury- 
ing place  itself  which,  in  the  city  of  Quito,  and  to 
persons  of  the  first  class,  is  an  expensive  item.  Mac- 
aulay praises  the  Catholic  Church  of  the  Middle  Ages 
for  being  adverse  to  the  distinctions  of  caste.  “ She 
compelled  the  hereditary  master  to  kneel  before  the 
spiritual  tribunal  of  the  hereditary  bondman  ; and  so 
successfully  had  she  used  her  formidable  machinery, 
that,  before  the  Reformation  came,  she  had  enfran- 
chised almost  all  the  bondsmen  of  the  kingdom  except 
her  own,  who,  to  do  her  justice,  seem  to  have  been 
very  tenderly  treated.”  But  the  Church  of  Ecuador 
is  not  entitled  to  similar  praises.  It  artificially  keeps 
up  and  perpetuates,  by  disgracing  classifications  and 
divisions,  those  distinctions  of  caste  which  the  progress 
of  time  and  civilization  has  done  so  much  to  modify 
and  obliterate.  It  teaches  the  descendant  of  the  con- 
queror to  shrink  contemptuously  from  the  thought 
of  being  u buried  like  an  Indian  ” ; and  it  continually 
reminds  those  who  once  were  the  lords  of  the  land, 
that  even  in  death  they  are  inferior  to  those  who  have 
subjected  and  wronged  them.1 

1 “ On  Monday  (following  Palm  Sunday),  the  Indian  procession  was  to 
take  place;  for,  though  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  Republic  of  Ecuador  pro- 
fess alike  the  Catholic  religion,  the  old  Spaniards  will  by  no  means  allow 
themselves  to  be  placed  on  the  same  footing  with  the  Indians,  and,  ac- 
cordingly, the  latter  have  a procession  to  themselves.”  — Ida  Pfeiffer, 
A Lady's  Second  Voyage  Round  the  World , vol.  ii.,  p.  217. 

'll 


162  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


Curates  receive  no  salaries.  Their  income  consists 
of  the  fees  just  referred  to,  and  fees  for  masses,  of 
fiestas ',  and  of  primicias.  In  every  parish  the  curate 
has  a right  to  four  compulsory  feasts  ( fiestas  forzosas') 
per  year,  which  must  be  paid  for  by  those  of  his  pa- 
rishioners whom  he  designates  for  the  purpose.  It  is 
his  duty  to  designate  others  every  year.  His  fee  is 
twelve  dollars  for  every  feast.  The  fiesta  consists  of  a 
chanted  mass,  sermon,  procession,  and  evening  service. 
One  of  them  is  celebrated  on  the  day  of  the  patron 
saint  of  the  parish  or  village  ; another  on  the  day  of 
the  patroness  ; the  third  on  Corpus  Christi ; and  the 
fourth  on  All  Souls’  Day.  Sometimes  the  persons 
designated  by  the  curate  to  give  the  fiesta  (these  per- 
sons are  called  priostes'),  or  in  other  words  to  pay  the 
twelve  dollars,  would  rather  be  excused  ; but  the 
curate  may,  in  case  of  a refusal,  procure  their  im- 
prisonment until  the  fee  is  paid.  The  primicias  con- 
sist of  the  seventh  part  of  the  fruits  of  the 'held.  It 
is  only  the  poor,  however,  who  really  give  the  seventh 
part.  Those  vdiose  harvest  amounts  to  less  than  seven 
fanegas  give  one  seventh.  Those  who  have  raised 
more  than  seven  fanegas  give  only  one  fanega.  In 
addition  to  this,  landowners  must  pay  the  regular 
tithe  ( diezmo ),  which  formerly  yielded  such  enormous 
revenues  to  the  bishops  (the  Bishop  of  Guayaquil 
alone  is  said  to  have  made  $40,000  a year),  that  in 
1863  Congress  ordered  the  diezmo  to  be  collected  by 
the  civil  authorities,  and  fixed  salaries  to  be  paid  to 
the  bishops  and  canons,  the  surplus  to  be  paid  into  the 
national  treasury. 


CHAPTER  X. 


Social  Life  in  the  Ecuadorian  Capital.  — The  Ladies.  — High  Opinion  of 
France.  — The  Populace  believes  every  Foreigner  to  be  a Frenchman. 

— Female  Morality.  — The  General  Prejudice  unfounded.  — Female 
Politicians  and  Conspirators.  — Educational.  — Literary  Dependence 
of  Spain  on  France.  — Want  of  Newspapers. — Sisters  of  the  “ Heart  of 
Jesus.”  — Music.  — The  Diplomatic  Corps.  — Foreigners  — Exequius.  — 
Duelos.  — Luto.  — Sunday  Visits.  — Salutations  and  Etiquette.  — Christ- 
mas Calls.  — Dar  las  Pascuas. — Cumpleaiios. — Bull-baitings,  or  Toros. 

— Description  of'the  Plaza  Mayor.  — Cock-fights.  — La  Gallera.  — Holi- 
days.— Jnocentes.  — Masquerades  between  Christmas  and  New  Year. — 
Fancy-Dress  Processions.  — Carnival. — Queer  Observance. — Chicha, 
the  Indian  National  Beverage. — Indian  Degradation,  Drunkenness, 
and  Improvidence. 

Let  us  now  venture  a description  of  social  life  in  the 
Ecuadorian  capital,  beginning  with  the  ladies.  There 
is  no  lack  of  beautiful  women,  especially  among  the 
middle  classes,  though  female  faces  very  generally  lack 
that  expression  which  intellectuality  alone  can  give. 
The  appearance  of  the  women  is  healthy,  their  faces 
wear  a ruddy  aspect,  and  their  feet  are  exceedingly 
small  and  well-shaped  ; but  their  features  are  frequently 
coarse,  and  do  not  betoken  refinement.  The  ladies 
generally  wear  their  hair  braided  in  two  long  tresses, 
dangling  down  their  backs.  Their  hair  is  exceedingly 
thick  and  coarse  ; its  universal  color  is  black  : fair, 
auburn,  or  red  hair  is  a great  rarity.  On  that  account, 
red  hair  is  considered  a beauty,  and  I have  seen  paint- 
ings with  red-haired  madonnas  and  angels.  Sometimes 
when  the  ladies  return  from  the  baths  in  the  River  Ma- 
changara,  they  wear  their  hair  all  loose  and  disheveled, 


164  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


falling  over  tlieir  necks  and  shoulders.  Bonnets  are 
not  in  use.  Some  of  the  ladies  of  the  higher  classes 
occasionally  wear  them  on  visits  of  state,  especially  to 
foreign  ladies  ; but  this  is  very  seldom.  Months  and 
years  may  pass  before  you  will  see  a lady  with  a 
bonnet ; and  then  she  runs  the  risk  of  being  stared 
at,  if  not  hooted  at  in  the  streets,  as  a Francesa 
(Frenchwoman)  ; for,  in  the  opinion  of  the  rabble, 
and  many  others  socially  above  the  rabble,  every  for- 
eigner is  a Frenchman.  The  common  people  have  no 
idea  that  there  are  other  countries  in  the  world  than 
France,  Spain,  New  Granada,  Chili,  and  Peru.  Be- 
sides, it  is  easier  to  them  to  say  Frances , than  to  say 
estrangero.  The  higher  classes  are  accustomed  to  look 
upon  Paris  as  the  exclusive  seat  of  civilization.  It  is* 
the  Mecca,  the  Alpha  and  Omega  of  their  travelling 
ambition.  If  their  children  are  to  be  educated  abroad, 
it  must  be  in  France.  If  they  have  seen  Paris,  they 
believe,  or  affect  to  believe,  that  they  have  seen  every 
thins:  that  is  worth  seeing  on  this  side  of  the  grave. 

The  ladies  go  out  bareheaded,  if  they  happen  to  be 
combed  ; but  generally,  they  wear  the  panuelon , which 
I have  already  described,  and  with  which  they  cover 
the  head,  and  part  of  the  face  and  shoulders.  It  gives 
them  rather  a nun-like  appearance,  and  although  some- 
times very  rich  and  gaudy,  does  not  set  them  off  to 
advantage. 

Their  taste  in  dressing  is  highly  primitive.  They 
are  fond  of  gay  colors,  and  gorgeous  and  ostentatious 
display.  When  they  are  compelled  to  show  themselves 
in  society,  they  love  to  wear  dresses  as  at  home  we 
should  see  them  only  on  the  stage.  For  a walk  across 
the  street,  to  the  bath,  or  to  church,  they  will  not  doff 
tlieir  neglige,  but  wrap  themselves  up  in  the  panuelon , 


FEMALE  MORALITY. 


165 


with  which,  when  they  wish  to  remain  unknown,  they 
can  hide  their  faces  completely,  leaving  but  one  eye 
uncovered.  At  home  the  panuelon  is  more  than  ever 
their  inseparable  companion.  It  saves  them  the  trouble 
of  combiner  and  dressing  their  hair,  and  the  vexation 
of  having  their  bodice  laced.  Those  who  paint  their 
faces  — and  a great  many  do  it  — ( tout  comme  chez 
nous)  — have  an  unfortunate  habit  of  overdoing  it. 
Meeting  them  in  the*  streets  of  New  York,  Boston,  or 
Philadelphia,  we  would  mistake  them  for  females  of  easy 
virtue,  — an  impression  to  which  their  gaudy  dresses 
would  greatly  contribute.  Notwithstanding  this  un- 
natural  custom,  we  would  not  be  entitled  to  draw  infer- 
ences disparaging  to  their  morality.  A great  many 
things  have  been  said  about  the  conduct  of  South 
American  women,  which  I have  found  to  be  either 
grossly  exaggerated,  or  entirely  false.  I cannot  say 
whether  they  deserve  their  reputation  in  Lima  ; in 
Quito  and  Guayaquil  they  certainly  do  not.  I am  con- 
vinced that  there  is  less  immorality  in  Quito  than  in 
any  other  capital.  I do  not  believe  that  the  women 
are  very  sensual  or  passionate.  They  seem  to  bejnea- 
pable  both  of  great  vices  and  of  great  virtues.  Their 
hearts  are  like  the  atmosphere  they  live  in,  of  a mean 
temperature.  It  will  be  remembered  that  Quito  is 
nearer  the  regions  of  perpetual  snow  than  those  of 
tropical  heat.  The  violent  changes  of  winter  and  sum- 
mer, and  their  exciting  influence  on  the  human  system, 
are  unknown  there.  The  temperature  is  nearly  the 
same  all  the  year  round.  The  disposition  of  the  wo- 
men, whether  the  result  of  the  climate  or  not,  seems 
to  be  lazy  and  indolent.  They  pass  the  day  cowering 
on  their  window-seats  ( estrados ),  gossiping.  They 
generally  sit  with  their  legs  crossed  like  Turks.  In 


166  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


some  of  their  private  rooms  there  are  low  benches,  like 
tailors’  benches,  for  them  to  squat  on.  In  this  position 
they  seem  to  be  more  at  ease  than  on  chairs  or  sofas. 
Even  in  church,  when  they  get  tired  of  kneeling,  they 
will  drop  down  and  sit  on  their  legs. 

The  church  is  their  daily  amusement.  In  political 
affairs  they  take  a very  lively,  active,  and  even  pas- 
sionate interest ; but  as  Ecuadorian  politics  mainly 
consist  of  personalities  in  which -but  very  seldom  an 
important  principle  is  involved,  their  political  excite- 
ments may  be  considered  as  a part  of  their  daily  gos- 
siping and  intriguing. 

The  chief  aspiration  of  a young  lady  in  Quito,  the 
chief  object  of  her  intrigues  and  anxieties,  is  to  find  a 
husband  as  soon  as  possible.  That  object  attained,  she 
resigns  herself  to  indifference.  The  cares  of  the  house- 
hold trouble  her  but  little.  Brooms  but  very  seldom 
wmid  their  way  through  the  neglected  rooms  of  houses 
in  the  interior.  She  resigns  herself  to  fleas  as  well  as 
to  social  apathy.  She  no  longer  cares  to  appear  in 
society,  nor  is  she  very  ambitious  to  receive  company 
at  her  own  house,  as  she  is  scarcely  ever  dressed  or 
combed,  and  shuns  the  trouble  of  passing  through  those 
operations  unnecessarily.  She  is  generally  very  care- 
ful of  her  conduct,  because  she  knows  the  tongues  of 
her  friends  and  acquaintances,  who  would  interpret  the 
most  innocent  step  in  the  most  uncharitable  manner. 

When  the  Senoras  have  put  themselves  in  a fit  state 
for  the  reception  of  visitors,  or  when  they  have  over- 
come their  first  timidity  and  receive  a new  acquaint- 
ance, although  they  may  not  be  combed  or  dressed, 
they  are  generally  very  kind  and  very  amiable.  Their 
manners  are  excellent.  Their  natural  dignity,  grace- 
fulness, and  politeness,  their  entire  self-possession,  their 


IGNORANCE  OF  THE  LADIES. 


167 


elegant  but  unaffected  bearing,  and  the  choiceness  of 
their  language,  would  enable  them  to  make  a credit- 
able  appearance  in  any  foreign  drawing-room.  It 
would  also  be  unjust  to  say  that  the  women  of  Quito 
are  without  natural  talents.  On  the  contrary,  they 
possess  a great  deal  of  common  sense,  quickness  of 
perception,  and  ready  wit.  They  are  prompt  at  rep- 
artee, and  full  of  pleasant  good  humor.  Their  natu- 
ral talents  are  very  great,  but  their  education- is  sadly 
neglected.  They  are  like  the  soil  of  their  native  coun- 
try — fertile  but  uncultivated.  They  have  learned  to 
read,  but  they  hardly  ever  read  any  tiling  but  their 
prayer-books.  Those  who  aspire  to  a slight  literary 
knowledge,  have  read  such  French  novels  as  the 
Church  has  not  prohibited.  In  this  they  follow  the 
example  of  the  mother-country,  which,  for  its  scanty 
literary  food,  must  depend  on  its  French  neighbors. 
What  little  there  is  known  in  Spain  of  English  and 
German  literature,  is  only  known  through  French 
translations.  Even  her  printing  and  publishing  Spain 
must  do  in  France.  Most  of  the  Spanish  books  which 
have  come  to  my  hands  were  printed  in  Paris  or 
Besanqon.  Fernan  Caballero,  the  celebrated  modern 
Spanish  novelist,  could  not  find  a bookseller  in  all  Cas- 
tile to  venture  on  the  expensive  enterprise  of  publishing 
her  works  It  had,  at  last,  to  be  done  at  the  expense 
of  the  Queen.  And  this  in  the  face  of  the  many  sen- 
sation articles  we  are,  of  late,  accustomed  to  see  in 
reviews  and  newspapers  on  the  “ revival  of  Spain.” 
But  to  return  to  our  subject.  The  ladies  of  Quito 
can  hardly  be  blamed  for  their  ignorance.  It  is  the 
monkish  system  which  keeps  them  down,  because  it 
does  not  deem  it  convenient  to  awaken  a taste  in 
them  for  intellectual  enjoyments.  Their  husbands, 


168  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANf . 


too,  ratlier  discourage  any  incipient  movement  of  their 
wives  in  the  direction  of  self-instruction.  They  would 
not  like  them  to  know  more  than  they  do  themselves. 
The  average  Quitonian  does  not  read  nor  desire  to 
read  himself ; why  should  he  encourage  his  wife  to  be- 
come his  intellectual  superior?  The  game  of  tresillo 
or  rocambur , an  insipid  chat  with  his  friends  on  the 
plaza,  or  at  some  street  corner,  if  not  in  a grog-shop, 
and  above  all,  the  training  of  fine  horses,  are  sub- 
jects of  infinitely  greater  importance  to  him  than  such 
trifles  as  science  or  literature.  Of  course  I speak  of 
the  average  Quitonians,  which  does  not  preclude  the 
existence  of  many  highly  honorable  exceptions,  who 
sincerely  deplore  the  intellectual  lethargy  of  their  coun- 
trymen, and  especially  of  the  rising  generation.  In 
1862,  a number  of  French  or  Alsatian  nuns  were  im- 
ported by  the  government  to  take  charge  of  the  educa- 
tion of  young  ladies ; but,  being  ignorant  and  bigoted 
themselves,  these  “ Sisters  of  the  Heart  of  Jesus  ” will 
not  work  important  educational  reforms. 

In  spite  of  the  difficulty  of  transportation,  there  are 
about  one  hundred  and  twenty  pianos  in  Quito,  very 
indifferently  tuned  ; but  there  are  only  very  few  ladies 
who  play  well.  The  guitar  and  the  harp  are  great 
favorites,  especially  with  the  middle  and  lower  classes  ; 
but  a woman  who  plays  either  of  these  instruments, 
scarcely  ever  knows  a note.  Her  stock  of  music  is 
therefore  very  easily  exhausted,  whenever  she  is  called 
upon  for  songs.  Moreover,  they  sing  chiefly  through 
the  nose,  especially  when  they  sing  one  of  their  national 
tunes  ( tonos ).  In  jewelry,  great  luxury  is  displayed. 
There  are  ladies  at  Quito  who  have  invested  quite  a 
fortune  in  diamonds,  pearls,  emeralds,  bracelets,  neck- 
laces, etc. 


FOREIGNERS. 


169 


In  almost  every  Spanish  country  the  spirit  of  pro- 
vincialism reigns  supreme.  So  it  does  in  Ecuador, 
much  more,  however,  on  the  coast  than  in  the  in- 
terior. The  inhabitants  of  the  former  most  cordially 
hate  and  despise  the  Serranos , as  the  inhabitants  of 
the  interior  are  called,  from  Sierra  (mountainous  coun- 
try). The  Guayaquil  ladies  are  full  of  these  provincial 
prejudices.  The  Serranos  are  charged  with  falseness 
and  treachery,  stinginess  and  want  of  cleanliness.  At 
Guayaquil  they  are  the  butt  • of  popular  witticisms. 
They  do  not,  however,  retaliate  in  kind.  On  the 
contrary,  when  Guayaquilians  visit  the  interior,  they 
are  generally  treated  with  great  kindness  and  atten- 
tion. Other  provincial  jealousies  exist  between  differ- 
ent parts  of  the  interior.  The  inhabitants  of  Cuenca, 
for  instance,  who  are  nicknamed  Morlacos , are  very 
freely  ridiculed  at  Quito. 

There  is  no  foreign  society  in  Quito  with  the  excep- 
tion of  the  foreign  diplomatic  representatives.  There 
are  almost  always  French,  English,  and  Spanish  Charges 
d’ Affaires,  and  a Minister  Resident  of  the  United  States. 
New  Granada,  too,  is  generally  represented ; Peru  and 
Chili  occasionally.  Other  foreign  residents  there  are 
but  few.  Their  number  in  my  time  hardly  ever  aver- 
aged a dozen.  It  is  true  there  are  always  a great 
many  New  Granadians  in  Ecuador  who  profit  by  the 
inferior  education  and  enterprise  of  the  Ecuadorians, 
but  they  can  hardly  be  called  foreigners.  The  neces- 
sity of  foreign  immigration  is  universally  admitted, 
and  the  wish  for  a large  influx  of  industrious  and  en- 
terprising foreigners  generally  expressed.  But  what 
the  feelings  of  the  natives  would  be  if  such  an  influx 
should  really  take  place,  I shall  not  venture  to  predict.1 

1 I am  greatly  inclined  to  coincide  with  the  following  observation  of 


170  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


There  is  but  very  little  social  life  in  Quito.  In  for- 
mer times,  the  place  is  said  to  have  been  more  lively 
and  attractive  ; but  the  civil  war  of  1860,  and  the 
bitter  animosities  it  produced,  are  said  to  have  broken 
up  society.  Besides,  a certain  vanity  and  love  of  os- 
tentation prevent  the  upper  ten  from  inaugurating 
social  pleasures.  They  would  not  give  a party,  a 
dinner,  or  a ball,  if  they  were  not  sure  to  outshine 
every  thing  that  had  ever  been  done  by  others.  As, 

Colonel  Hall,  in  the  pamphlet  to  which  I have  already  referred : “ One  of 
the  facts,”  he  says,  “ which  most  agreeably  presents  itself  to  the  mind  of 
the  European  traveller  in  almost  every  part  of  Colombia,  is  the  opinion 
which  seems  universally  felt,  and  is  universally  avowed,  of  the  necessity 
of  a larger  influx  of  foreign  settlers.  Everywhere  he  hears  an  outcry  for 
foreigners;  everywhere  lamentations  over  the  ignorance  and  indolence  of 
the  present  inhabitants.  All  this  is  pretty  much  as  it  seems:  the  necessity 
of  a foreign  population,  that  is,  of  an  increase  of  population,  which  can  only 
be  obtained  from  foreign  countries,  is  obvious  to  the  dullest  capacity ; nor 
is  the  fact  of  the  inability  of  the  present  inhabitants  to  profit  by  the  im- 
mense advantages  of  their  own  soil,  less  irresistibly  clear.  Foreigners  have 
won  its  independence;  foreigners  have  created  its  commerce;  its  marine 
has  been  furnished,  armed,  manned,  and  commanded  by  foreigners;  its 
soldiers  have  beep  disciplined,  and  are  still  armed,  clothed,  and  in  a great 
measure  fed,  by  foreign  capital ; yet  all  this  mass  of  opinion  and  circum- 
stance by  no  means  proves  that  foreign  settlers  would  meet  with  that  active 
and  benevolent  assistance  from  the  inhabitants,  which  gratitude,  as  well  as 
interest,  would  dictate,  and  which  their  own  opinions  seem  to  promise.  It 
is  uncertain  how  far  they  might  view  with  philosophic  good-will,  a foreigner 
taking  advantage  of  circumstances  which,  though  their  indolence  had 
neglected,  their  cupidity  might  prompt  them  to  lament.  Let  us  suppose  a 
foreigner  to  discover  a mine  or  a lucrative  branch  of  commerce,  or  by  some 
invention  or  improvement  to  create  a new,  and  consequently  to  drjr  up  an 
old,  channel  of  profit,  would  the  real  and  imaginary  sufferers  in  this  case  — 
those  who  had  missed  the  discovery  or  were  sharers  in  the  loss  — be  likely 
to  regard  die  intruder  with  particular  favor  or  satisfaction?  ” — Colombia , 
its  Present  State , in  Respect  of  Climate , Soil,  Productions,  Population , Gov- 
ernment, Commerce,  etc  , etc.,  and  Inducements  to  Emigration  with  Itiner- 
aries. By  Colonel  Francis  Hall,  Philadelphia,  1825. 

I may  add  here,  that  although  the  natives  admit  the  superiority  of 
foreigners  in  mechanic  arts  and  spirit  of  enterprise,  there  lingers,  never- 
theless, a hidden  conviction  in  their  minds,  that  foreigners  are  inferior  to 
them  in  manners,  social  refinement,  and  intelligence.  As  far  as  manners 
are  concerned,  they  may  perhaps  be  right. 


EXEQUIAS.  — DUELOS. 


171 


however,  their  wealth  consists  chiefly  in  real  property 
( haciendas ),  and  not  in  ready  money,  they  find  it  too 
expensive  to  gratify  this  vanity. 

One  of  the  principal  features  of  social  life  in  Quito, 
is  the  unpleasant  recurrence  of  invitations  to  funeral 
honors.  Burials,  as  I have  already  said,  take  place  in 
the  night  time.  But  a few  days  after  a fashionable 
death,  printed  invitations  are  sent,  not  only  to  the  ac- 
quaintances and  friends,  but  to  all  persons  of  note,  to 
attend  las  exequias , a grand  requiem  chanted,  gener- 
ally in  the  Church  of  San  Francisco,  for  the  soul  of  the 
deceased.  Two  long  rows  of  seats  facing  each  other, 
and  leading  from  the  door  to  the  altar,  are  prepared 
for  the  reception  of  the  invited  guests.  For  two  or 
three  mortal  hours  the  ears  of  these  are  torn  by  the 
music  of  a very  bad  organ,  and  the  worse  chant  and 
cracked  voices  of  a choir  of  hoarse  and  ugly  friars  and 
their  assistants.  The  Franciscans  of  Quito  are  pro- 
verbial for  their  ugliness.  A mass,  not  commendable 
for  its  shortness,  concludes  the  performance.  For- 
tunately, however,  it  is  not  obligatory  to  be  present  all 
the  time.  Most  of  the  condolers,  with  the  exception 
of  those  more  immediately  interested  in  the  deceased, 
remain  in  their  seats  for  a short  time  only,  and  then 
retire  to  the  great  court-yard  ( q^ateo ) of  the  convent, 
where  they  walk  to  and  fro  and  chat  with  their  friends 
in  the  long  corridors,  until  it  is  time  to  return  to  the 
church,  in  order  to  be  present  at  the  exit,  and  to  be  seen 
by  the  family  and  friends,  who,  posting  themselves  at 
the  door  of  the  temple,  let  the ' invited  guests  pass  by 
in  procession,  giving  them  solemn  nods  of  recognition. 

There  is  another  form  of  duelo  (manifestation  of 
condolence),  which,  although  gradually  falling  into 
disuse,  is  still  practiced  to  some  extent.  On  the  death 


172  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


of  a member  of  the  family,  the  friends  call  at  the  house 
in  the  evening,  or  if  his  house  is  not  suitable  to  the 
purpose,  at  the  house  of  some  other  member  of  the 
family,  and  sit  down  in  the  parlor,  where  chairs  ranged 
along  the  walls  are  prepared  for  their  reception.  There 
they  sit,  the  men  on  one  side, -the  women  on  the  other, 
without  saying  a word,  and  without  looking  at  each 
other,  for  a half  hour  or  more.  In  silence  they  enter, 
in  silence  they  remain  seated  in  the  dimly  lighted 
room,  and  in  silence,  one  by  one,  they  drop  off  again. 
jThis  dreary  performance  is  repeated  every  night  for 
about  a week.  The  survivors  remain  in  mourning  one 
year,  if  the  deceased  was  a parent,  consort,  brother,  or 
sister,  and  six  months  for  other  relatives.  During  this 
time  they  cannot  take  part  in  any  amusement ; they 
cannot  show  themselves  on  public  occasions  ; nor  can 
they  allow  pianos  or  guitars  to  be  played  at  their 
houses.  The  luto  must  be  rigidly  observed.  These 
austere  customs  greatly  interfere  with  the  most  inno- 
cent pleasures  of  social  life  ; for,  as  in  a small  place 
like  Quito,  the  principal  families  are  almost  always,  in 
a more  or  less  remote  degree,  related  to  one  another, 
one  half  of  society  is  continually  in  mourning. 

Sunday  is  general  visiting  day  ; that  is  to  say,  visits 
of  etiquette  are  made  on  Sunday,  between  twelve  and 
three  o’clock.  You  will  be  called  upon  by  gentlemen 
whom  you  do  not  know,  and  who  do  not  bring  any 
body  to  introduce  them  ; but  their  winning  manners, 
courtesy,  and  cordiality  soon  set  you  at  ease. 

Married  ladies  who  want  to  assure  a respectable  for- 
eigner or  new-comer  of  their  hospitality,  send  him  their 
cards  shortly  after  his  arrival.  The  cards  of  married 
women  contain  both  their  maiden  and  their  husbands’ 
They  are  not  known,  however,  by  their  hus- 


names. 


BULL-BAITINGS,  OR  TOROS. 


173 


bands’  names.  If,  for  instance,  Mercedes  Fulana  mar- 
ries Mr.  Sutano,  her  friends,  acquaintances,  and  the 
public  in  general,  will  continue  to  call  her  Mercedes 
Fulana,  although  her  name  is  Mercedes  Fulana  de 
Sutano.  You  will  never  hear  any  body  speak  of  Mrs. 
Sutano. 

An  Ecuadorian  lady  does  not  rise  when  you  enter, 
nor  does  she  rise  when  you  depart.  It  is  considered 
good  breeding  in  Spanish- America  for  a lady  to  remain 
as  motionless  as  possible.  She  will  be  seated  on  a sofa, 
and  you  sit  down  on  a chair  opposite.  The  conversa- 
tion begins  and  ends  with  the  customary  quantity  of 
compliments,  or  offers  of  services,  protestations  of 
friendship,  etc. 

Calls  must  be  made  at  Christmas  and  Easter.  This 
is  called  dar  las  pascuas , and  is  obligatory  on  friends 
and  relatives.  You  must  also  visit  your  friends  on  the 
days  of  their  patron  saints  Qcumpleanos')  ; but  in  most 
of  the  houses  you  find  a table  with  paper  and  ink  on 
the  staircase,  so  that  you  may  write  down  your  name, 
or  leave  your  card. 

Public  amusements  there  are  almost  none,  except  at 
certain  times  of  the  year.  There  are  no  theatres,  no 
concerts,  no  lectures,  or  public  meetings.  There  are, 
however,  on  certain  occasions,  other  amusements  which, 
as  they  are  characteristic  of  the  country,  and  most  of 
them  unknown  among  us,  I shall  endeavor  to  describe. 

The  first  and  most  popular  of  all  is  bull-baiting.  It 
is  called  toros.  Between  Christmas  and  New  Year; 
on  the  10th  of  August,  which  is  the  anniversary  of 
Ecuadorian  independence ; at  the  inauguration  of  a 
new  President,  and  on  many  other  solemn  or  festive 
occasions,  this  amusement  is  indulged  in  by  all  classes 
of  the  population.  The  performances  generally  com- 


174  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH— AMERICANS. 


mence  at  three  o’clock  in  the  afternoon  and  last  un- 
til dark.  They  are  not  confined  to  an  exclusive  set 
of  performers,  but  every  body  is  allowed,  and  even 
desired,  to  take  an  active  part.  One  of  the  public 
squares,. or  plazas , is  the  scene  of  action.  The  Plaza 
Mayor  of  Quito  is  decidedly  the  handsomest  part  of  the 
town.  It  will  compare  favorably  with  any  other  South 
American  plaza.  It  is  seamed  by  handsome  buildings, 
and  has  a fountain  in  the  centre.  The  west  side  is 
occupied  by  the  Government  Palace,  a tolerably  re- 
spectable structure.  It  contains  the  offices  of  the 
President  and  the  Ministers  ; the  office  of  the  Governor 
of  the  Province,  the  Supreme  and  Superior  Courts, 
and  the  Post-office.  The  rear  of  the  northwestern 
part  of  the  building  was  destroyed  by  the  earthquake 
of  March,  1859,  and  is  now  in  ruins,  which,  however, 
cannot  be  noticed  from  the  plaza.  The  south  side  of 
the  plaza  is  wholly  occupied  by  the  Cathedral,  with  a 
very  handsome  terrace  before  it,  which,  in  the  after- 
noon, is  generally  crowded  by  persons  in  search  of 
fresh  air  and  exercise.  Opposite  the  Cathedral  are  the 
Archbishop’s  Palace  and  two  or  three  private  man- 
sions, which  are  built  in  the  same  style,  and  seem  to 
belong  to  it.  On  the  east  side  stand  the  House  of  the 
Municipality,  and  a few  of  the  most  elegant  private 
residences  of  Quito,  one  of  which,  in  the  middle  of  the 
block,  has  two  upper  stories.  All  the  buildings  on  the 
plaza  are  most  symmetrically  arranged.  The  struct- 
ures on  the  east  and  north  sides  rest  on  rows  of 
columns,  and  afford  a covered  passage  or  arcade,  which 
is  called  the  portal.  In  these  passages  there  are  not 
only  a great  many  stores,  but  also  the  stands  of  the  ca- 
j oner  as, — women  who  sell  notions,  such  as  buttons,  rib- 
bons, scissors,  soap,  matches,  pencils,  slates,  catechisms, 


BARBAROUS  AMUSEMENTS. 


175 


needles,  pins,  knives  and  forks,  hatcliets,  combs  and 
brushes,  etc.  They  unpack  their  goods  early  in  the 
morning,  and  at  about  six  o’clock  in  the  evening  they 
pack  them  up  again  and  retire  for  the  night.  Between 
their  stands  are  the  stools  of  women  who  make  and 
sell  lace. 

In  the  windows  and  on  the  balconies  of  the  public 
palaces  and  private  residences  of  the  plaza,  the  elite  or 
haute  volee  of  Quito  used  to  assemble  on  the  great  oc- 
casion of  a bull-baiting;.  Ladies  in  their  richest  and 
© 

gaudiest  apparel,  and  covered  all  over  with  dazzling  jew- 
elry, adorned  three  sides  of  the  square,  manifesting  the 
liveliest  interest  in  the  barbarous  proceedings.  The  ter- 
race before  the  Cathedral  and  the  Government  Palace, 
the  jyortales  on  the  east  and  north  sides,  as  well  as  the 
fountain  in  the  centre  of  the  square,  and  even  the  roof 
of  the  Cathedral,  were  densely  crowded  by  the  com- 
mon people,  — men,  women,  and  children,  whites,  In- 
dians, cholos,  zambos,  mulattoes,  and  negroes.  It  was  a 
most  picturesque  sight.  The  men  in  jackets,  ponchos, 
and  hats  of  every  style  and  color  ; the  women  in  their 
macanas , rebozos , and  shawls,  of  every  possible  variety  ; 
the  many  different  complexions  of  the  motley  crowd,  the 
swaying  to  and  fro,  and  the  cheering  and  huzzaing  of 
the  populace  ; the  luxury  and  splendor  in  the  windows 
and  on  the  balconies ; the  young  Caballeros  dashing  or 
prancing  from  one  end  of  the  plaza  to  the  other  on 
beautiful  fiery  steeds  ; the  soldiers  in  their  Sunday 
uniforms  mixing  with  the  crowd  below ; the  boys 
whistling  and  the  dogs  barking  at  the  approaching 
bull ; flags  streaming  from  roofs  and  windows  ; a brass 
band  pouring  forth  exciting  strains ; rockets  and  fire- 
crackers exploding  ; and  the  bull  wildly  running  up 
and  down,  with  the  rabble  scampering  and  screaming 


1T6  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


before  him ; all  this  presented  a grotesque  and  fascinat- 
ing sight  to  the  unaccustomed  eye  of  the  foreign  trav- 
eller. But  you  must  not  suppose  that  — 

“In  costly  sheen  and  gaudy  cloak  array’d. 

But  all  afoot,  the  light-limbed  matador 
Stands  in  the  centre,  eager  to  invade 
The  lord  of  lowing  herds.” 

Nor  must  you  suppose  that,  — 

“ Foiled,  bleeding,  and  breathless,  furious,  to  the  last, 

Full  in  the  centre  stands  the  bull  at  bay, 

’Mid  wounds,  and  clinging  darts,  and  lances  brast, 

And  foes  disabled  in  the  brutal  Trav.” 

♦ 

The  performances  are  of  a widely  different  character. 
The  outlets  of  the  plaza  are  barricaded  to  prevent  the 
escape  of  the  maddened  animals  into  any  of  the  neigh- 
boring streets.  In  one  of  the  latter  a temporary  in- 
closure is  put  up,  in  which  the  bulls  are  kept  during 
the  three  days  the  festival  generally  lasts.  As  soon  as 
it  is  time  to  commence,  a bull  is  brought  out,  and  the 
sport  begins.  Men  and  boys,  the  majority  of  them  in 
a high  state  of  intoxication,  tease  the  bull  by  display- 
ing ponchos,  coats,  hats,  cloths,  and  rags  before  his  eyes, 
poking  wooden  lances  into  his  sides,  throwing  stones 
at  him,  and  even  pulling  him  by  the  tail.  The  spec- 
tators below  accompany  these  experiments  by  whis- 
tling, yelling,  and  hissing,  for  the  purpose  of  still  more 
enraging  and  bewildering  the  animal.  If  the  bidl 
charges,  every  body  runs  away  from  him ; the  more 
skillful  toreros  will  spring  to  one  side,  throwing  the 
poncho  or  cloth  with  which  they  incited  him,  over  his 
head.  I have  witnessed  some  very  narrow  escapes  at 
such  performances.  If  the  animal  stands  still,  his  tor- 
mentors will  approach  him  again.  Sometimes  they 
will  put  up  scarecrows  for  him,  and  lustily  rejoice 
when  he  knocks  them  down.  The  object  of  those  who 


BULL-BAITING. 


177 


plume  themselves  on  being  good  toreadores  is  to  goad 
him  to  make  desperate  charges  on  them,  and  then  earn 
the  applause  of  the  spectators  by  skillful  dodging.  T 
once  saw  a negro  who  performed  wonderful  feats  of 
agility,  and  at  last  tired  out  the  bull  instead  of  getting 
tired  himself.  Generally,  however,  there  is  a want  of 
good  toreros.  The  rabble  teases  the  bull,  but  runs  as 
soon  as  he  gives  a threatening  start.  Nevertheless, 
serious  accidents  are  not  wanting.  A fierce  bull  ( toro 
bravo ) will  generally  knock  down  or  gore  a few  of  the 
sportsmen  who  are  too  slow  or  too  drunk  to  effect  a 
timely  escape.  But  this  is  a necessary  part  of  the  per- 
formance ; it  makes  the  sport  interesting  and  exciting 
to  the  multitude.  A bull-day  without  several  persons 
wounded  or  even  killed,  would  be  considered  rather 
insipid.  The  more  accidents  on  the  preceding  day, 
the  larger  will  be  the  crowd  on  the  next.  One  after- 
# noon,  I saw  three  fellows  carried  off  insensible.  One 
of  them  afterwards  died.  I have  seen  others  who 
jumped  up  immediately  after  being  knocked  down, 
and  waved  their  hats  to  show  that  their  limbs  and 
spirits  were  unbroken.  Sometimes  an  obstinate  bull 
is  brought  in,  who  absolutely  refuses  to  gratify  the 
public,  or  to  get  excited.  He  is  at  once  laughed  and 
hooted  at  by  the  crowd,  and  driven  off  to  make  room 
for  another.  For  every  bull  that  gets  tired  or  flags, 
another  is  substituted.  Sometimes  a bull  will  be  as- 
tute and  wily.  He  will  not  move  at  first,  and  make 
the  crowd  believe  that  he  is  very  tame,  when,  all  on  a 
sudden,  he  will  make  an  unexpected  and  terrible  charge. 
The  general  practice  is  to  throw  fire-crackers  and  rock- 
ets at  the  head  or  between  the  legs  of  the  animal  to 
increase  its  fury.  Salutes,  too,  are  fired  at  suitable 
intervals.  I was  told  that  in  many  cases,  especially 
12 


178  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


at  the  festivals  in  the  country,  utter  recklessness  and 
audacity  are  displayed  by  the  toreros.  They  do  not 
constitute  a regular  class  like  the  professional  bull- 
fighters of  Spain,  Mexico,  or  Peru.  They  are  only 
amateurs ; but  they  will  jump  sometimes,  so  I was 
told,  on  the  bull’s  back,  and  maintain  themselves  on 
it,  riding,  while  the  animal  dashes  along  with  furious 
speed  ; or  taking  refuge  on  a table,  they  will  jump 
over  the  bull’s  whole  length  while  he  makes  an  at- 
tempt to  gore  them.  In  the  country,  where  fiercer 
bulls  are  kept  than  those  used  for  the  sports  in  the 
city,  such  feats  are  said  to  be  common.  I never  saw 
them  myself.  I did,  however,  see  feats  performed  by 
mounted  toreros , which  did  great  credit  to  their  horse- 
manship. 

Perhaps  no  act  of  President  Moreno  gave  greater 
dissatisfaction  than  his  making  a park  of  the  plaza,  by 
sodding  it  and  planting  avenues  of  trees,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  putting  an  end  to  bull-baiting.  He  had  to 
desist  from  the  attempt  to  abolish  this  cherished  sport ; 
but  as  he  had  made  the  Plaza  Mayor  unfit  for  it,  bull- 
baitings  now  take  place  on  the  plaza  of  San  Francisco. 
Whenever  apprehensions  of  a revolutionary  outbreak 
are  entertained,  the  government  considers  it  good 
policy  to  give  bull-baitings,  in  order  to  divert  the 
people,  and  make  it  forget  its  insurrectionary  whims. 
The  philosophy  of  the  old  cry  of  “ Panem  et  Cir- 
censes  ” is  not  yet  obsolete. 

Next  to  bull-baiting  in  popularity,  especially  with 
the  gambling  portion  of  the  population  (and  that  por- 
tion is  very  large,  and  not  at  all  confined  to  the  lower 
classes),  are  cock-fights.  They  take  place  every  Sun- 
day and  Thursday,  in  the  afternoons,  in  the  spacious 
court  of  an  old  building  opposite  the  Church  of  Santa 


COCK-FIGHTING. 


1T9 


Catalina.  This  place  is  called  La  Gallera , from  gallo 
(rooster).  The  admission  fee  which  visitors  are  re- 
quired to  pay  is  half  a real.  It  is  collected  by  an 
agent  of  the  municipality  to  which-  it  belongs,  and 
which  has  prescribed  rules  and  regulations  for  the 
management  of  the  sport.  This  small  admission  fee 
yields  a.  monthly  revenue  to  the  city  of  over  a 
hundred  dollars.  The  municipality  appoints  a judge, 
who  presides  over  the  proceedings,  maintains  order, 
and  in  doubtful  cases  decides  which  party  has  been 
victorious.  With  him  the  stakes  must  be  deposited, 
and  he  gets  a percentage  on  the  wagers.  The  cocks 
are  set  to  tight  either  with  their  natural  or  with  arti- 
ficial spurs.  The  latter  consist  of  sharp  little  steel 
blades  Qnavajas ),  which  are  tied  to  the  natural  spurs 
of  the  poor  fowls,  and  with  which  they  cut  each  other 
up  terribly.  With  these  artificial  spurs  the  fight  is 
but  very  short.  It  hardly  lasts  a minute.  Sometimes 
both  the  combatants  remain  dead,  or  mortally  wound- 
ed, in  the  ring;  then  it  becomes  an  important  ques- 
tion which  of  the  two  gave  out  first.  This,  of  course, 
it  is  for  the  judge  to  decide,  from  whose  decision  an 
appeal  lies  to  the  municipal  tribunals.  As  soon  as  one 
of  the  cocks  is  down,  the  owner  of  the  victor  rushes  in 
to  take  him  away,  and  prevent  him  from  being  hurt  by 
his  wounded  or  dying  enemy.  Most  of  the  spectators 
bet  on  the  issue  of  the  combats.  Considerable  sums  of 
money  are  won  or  lost,  and  many  a lazy  loafer  does 
nothing  else  but  rear  fighting-cocks,  with  which  lie 
supports  his  miserable  existence.  The  noise  and  ex- 
citement during  a combat  is  very  great.  It  is  height- 
ened by  an  array  of  cocks  tied  to  stakes  in  the  rear 
of  the  spectators,  and  crowing  incessantly.  There  are 
seats  around  the  ring  for  the  visitors.  The  judge  lias 


180  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPAXISH-AMERICANS. 


an  elevated  seat,  from  which  he  can  overlook  every 
thing,  and  to  which  he  ascends  with  great  dignity 
when  the  owners  of  the  cocks  and  the  betters  are 
ready  for  the  fray.  Each  owner  generally  holds  his 
own  rooster  until  the  judge  gives  the  sign  with  a bell. 
Sometimes  they  first  poke  the  roosters  against  eacli 
other,  to  excite  them  to  greater  fury.  Upon  the  sign 
of  the  judge  they  set  them  down  and  let  them  loose. 
What  then  follows  I shall  not  describe.  I do  not 
know  whom  to  pity  more  — the  cocks,  who  rise  to  the 
level  of  heroes,  or  the  men,  who  sink  to  the  level  of 
beasts. 

The  rules  by  which  cock-fights  must  be  governed, 
are  prescribed  by  the  municipality,  and  printed.  The 
judge  has  a right  to  fine  persons  who  disobey  his  or- 
ders or  resist  his  authority,  from  one  to  twenty-five 
dollars,  or  to  send  them  to  prison  for  twenty-four 
hours.  Bets  are  valid  in  law,  if  the  stakes  are  depos- 
ited with  the  judge.  His  fees  are  two  per  cent,  on  the 
money  passing  through  his  hands.1 

Let  us  now  pass  to  another  popular,  and  less  barbar- 
ous amusement  — the  masquerades  which  take  place 
between  Christmas  and  New  Year,  which  period  is 
called  el  tiempo  de  los  inocentes , literally,  “ the  time  of 
the  innocents.”  During  this  time,  in  addition  to  mas- 
querades, all  those  jokes  are  practiced,  which  among 
us  are  confined  to  the  first  of  April.  To  “ fool  one,” 
is  called  Jiacerle  una  pegadura.  The  inocentes  begin 
with  the  masquerades  of  the  children,  who  run  about 
iu  the  disguise  of  monkeys,  with  tails  of  formidable 
length,  and  perpetrating  hideous  noises.  On  the  sec- 
ond or  third  day,  the  common  people  begin  to  haunt 

1 See  Tablet  que  rije  en  el  Eskiblecimientc  de  la  G altera  tn  la  Ciudad  de 
Quito;  May  1,  18G0;  signed , J.  M.  Cardenas,  Chief  of  Police. 


MASQUERADES. 


181 


the  streets  in  different  mummeries,  chiefly,  however,  in 
the  disguise  of  monkeys,  or  of  old  men  and  women 
with  ridiculous  hats  or  bonnets,  flaxen  wigs,  and  very 
ugly  masks.  They  dance  through  the  streets,  scream- 
ing and  cheering,  and  good-humoredly  striking  the 
people  whom  they  meet,  especially  the  Indians.  Their 
rambles  are  continued  day  and  night  until  the  holidays 
are  over.  The  masquerades  of  the  higher  classes  are 
of  a different  character.  They  are  generally  carried 
on  after  the  style  of  our  surprise-parties.  The  pro- 
gramme is  as  follows  : Several  friends,  generally  the 
younger  members  of  two  or  three  families,  agree  upon 
a fancy-dress  expedition  for  a certain  night.  Word  is 
then  sent  to  another  family  who  is  not  of  the  party, 
that  an  expedition  of  masks  will  “ wind  up  ” ( rematar ) 
at  their  house  that  night.  This,  of  course,  is  an  in- 
timation to  the  family  to  prepare  for  their  reception. 
But  before  repairing  to  the  final  rendezvous,  the  party 
will  call  at  the  houses  of  all  their  other  friends,  ac- 
quaintances, and  relations,  to  take  them  by  surprise. 
Boisterous  laughter,  and  a wild  confusion  of  dissembled 
voices  on  the  staircase,  announce  their  arrival.  They 
swarm  into  the  parlor,  laughing  and  chatting,  saluting 
and  asking  unintelligible  questions,  all  at  the  same 
time.  They  dance  around  their  victim,  bantering  him 
to  identify  them,  and  enjoying  his  mistaken  guesses. 
Some  will  pull  him  to  one  side  and  trumpet  into  his 
ears,  while  others  will  pull  him  to  the  other  side,  in- 
viting him  to  a dance  ; until  after  a wild,  hoyden ish 
scene,  they  rush  away  as  rapidly  as  they  came,  many 
a time  making  room  for  another  party,  which  follows 
in  their  wake.  It  happens  very  often  that  four  or 
five  different  parties  will  call  at  the  same  house  during 
one  evening.  When  they  meet  at  the  street  door,  in 


182  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


the  hall,  or  on  the  stairs,  the  noise  and  laughter  be- 
come deafening.  But  I never  savv  or  heard  of  any 
impropriety,  violence,  or  indecency,  either  in  the  streets 
or  in  the  houses,  except  perhaps  the  diabolical  noise 
with  which  they  move  along. 

After  having  visited  all  their  friends,  they  hasten  to 
the  place  where  they  are  expected  for  the  rest  of  the 
night.  There  they  “ wind  up.”  This  u winding  up  ” 
almost  always  lasts  till  daylight,  and  consists  of  an  im- 
provised ball.  If  there  is  no  piano  at  the  house,  one 
or  two  musicians  are  generally  brought  along  by  the 
party.  Sometimes  a harp  or  a few  guitars  compose 
the  orchestra,  and  the  night  is  spent  in  dancing  and 
revelry.  The  different  calls  which  they  made,  and 
the  fun  enjoyed  during  the  expedition,  furnish  them 
with  an  interesting  subject  of  conversation  and  merri- 
ment for  the  many  long  and  dull  weeks  and  months 
that  follow  the  holidays.  The  costumes  paraded  on 
such  occasions  are  sometimes  very  elegant  and  well- 
devised  ; sometimes,  of  course,  very  silly  and  tasteless. 
Sometimes  they  will  mimic  well-known  characters  in  a 
very  ingenious  manner.  In  1863,  one  mask  mini- 
icked  the  Apostolic  Delegate  and  his  foreign  accent, 
voice,  and  peculiar  mode  of  speaking  so  well,  that'  the 
police  felt  itself  obliged  to  put  a stop  to  it.  I have 
also  seen  torchlight  processions  of  masked  parties,  in 
splendid  costumes,  and  preceded  by  bands  of  music,  — 
a highly  romantic  spectacle,  reminding  us  of  the  golden 
times  of  the  Roman  and  Venetian  Carnival. 

On  the  nights  when  processions  of  masks  are  ex- 
pected, the  streets,  and  especially  the  portales  of  the 
plaza,  are  crowded  with  dense  throngs  of  men,  women, 
and  children,  anxious  to  see  the  sights.  Chairs  and 
tables  will  be  carried  under  the  portales  for  the  women 


OBSERVANCE  OF  THE  CARNIVAL 


183 


to  sit  down,  and  masked  as  well  as  unmasked  passers- 
by  will  have  to  squeeze  their  way  through  the  multi- 
tude. All  this  is  very  interesting,  and  presents  a very 
lively  and  grotesque  appearance  ; but  there  are  con- 
siderations which  make  it  disgusting  to  come  into  too 
close  a contact  with  the  populace  of  Quito.  I was  per- 
fectly horrified  one  night  when  coming  home  from  a 
stroll  through  the  densely  crowded  portales , I dis- 
covered on  my  overcoat  two  of  those  detestable  ani- 
mals so  abundant  among  the  people  of  the  interior. 
Let  us  drop  the  curtain  on  this  last  part  of  the  picture, 
and  pass  to  the  regular  Carnival,  which,  strange  to 
say,  is  not  the  time  of  masquerades  in  Quito. 

The  manner  in  which  Carnival  is  observed  by  the 
populace  is  as  barbarous  as  bull-baiting.  Groups  of 
men  and  boys  gather  on  the  comers  of  the  streets,  or 
in  the  low  shops  and  groggeries,  and  throw  eggs,  mud, 
and  water  at  one  another  or  at  the  passers-by.  Ser- 
vant girls  in  the  windows  and  balconies  enjoy  the  dis- 
charge of  water-pots  at  the  heads'  of  persons  below. 
The  Indians  and  the  rabble  in  general,  besmear  each 
other’s  faces  with  eggs,  soot,  paint,  or  mud,  and  drink 
until  they  are  hardly  able  to  maintain  themselves  on 
their  legs.  Their  unwashed  and  ugly  faces,  with  an 
additional  layer  of  soot  or  paint,  distorted  by  ex- 
citement and  drunkenness,  present  a hideous  appear- 
ance. The  Indians  of  Quito  and  the  neighborhood 
are  distinguished  by  their  ugliness,  to  which  they 
ought  not  to  contribute  by  artificial  means.  This 
observance  of  Carnival  is  carried  on  for  almost  a week, 
the  last  days  being,  of  course,  the  worst.  The  streets 
are  everywhere  covered  with  egg-shells  and  made  slip- 
pery with  their  contents.  Even  respectable  ladies  in 
the  balconies,  seized  by  the  general  excitement,  pelt 


184  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


their  friends  with  egg-shells  filled  with  corn  meal  or 
flour,  and  other  playful  missiles.  The  Carnival  now  is 
not  so  offensive  as  it  was  in  former  times.  I was  in- 
formed by  old  residents  that  in  former  years  persons 
were  seized  by  the  mob,  (headed  but  too  frequently 
by  young  men  of  the  best  families,)  and  ducked  in  the 
sewers,  or  forcibly  painted  and  besmeared  in  a most 
shocking  manner.  Serious  frays  and  fights  used  to  be 
the  consequence  of  these  abominable  practices,  and  the 
police  was  at  last  compelled  to  check  them.  Still, 
what  has  remained  of  them  is  vexatious  enough, 
although  I never  heard  of  excesses.  As  the  popu- 
lace does  not  know  to  fight  at  fisticuffs,  knock-downs 
scarcely  ever  take  place ; knives  are  drawn  but  very 
seldom ; and  murders  or  the  inflicting  of  wounds  be- 
long to  the  rarest  occurrences.  I cannot  recollect 
more  than  one  case  of  murder,  and  but  two  cases  of 
manslaughter  committed  in  the  city  of  Quito  during 
the  time  I resided  there.  Even  assaults  and  batteries 
we  very  rare.  Drunkenness,  petit  larceny,  and  va- 
grancy are  the  most  common  offenses.  I cannot  pass 
over  the  chapter  of  drunkenness  without  alluding  to 
the  beverages  in  use  among  the  masses.  They  are 

O O J 


rum  and  cliicha.  The  aguardiente  del  pais  is  distilled 
from  the  sugar-cane,  and  has,  to  me  at  least,  a very 
repugnant  taste.  From  it,  by  the  addition  of  anise- 
seed,  another  kind  of  liquor  is  prepared,  which  is  much 
in  vogue  ; it  is  called  anisada.  But  the  Indian’s  na- 
tional beverage  is  chicha . It  was  the  beverage  of  the 
natives  when  the  Spaniards  took  possession  of  the 
country ; and  although  most  of  their  ancient  tradi- 
tions Were  lost  in  the  course  of  three  hundred  years, 
chicha  has  maintained  itself  to  this  day.  It  is  brewed 
from  indian  corn,  in  large  copper  kettles,  and  acces- 


BEVERAGES. 


185 


sible  to  the  poorest  on  account  of  its  great  cheapness. 
Its  color  is  a dirty  yellow,  and,  the  dregs  being  con- 
tinually stirred  up  in  the  kettle,  it  has  no  clearness  or 
transparency.  Its  taste  is  slightly  acid,  and  not  al- 
together unpleasant.  The  better  families  sometimes 
partake  of  it,  sweetened  with  sugar  or  sirup,  and 
mixed  with  other  ingredients.  It  is  brewed  in  a great 
many  Indian  habitations,  in  cities  as  well  as  in  the 
country.  Considering  the  extreme  filthiness  of  its 
manufacturers,  and  of  the  localities  in  which  it  is 
made,  it  will  not  be  very  palatable  to  a foreign  taste. 
Those  who  make  it,  and  their  friends  or  relatives,  to- 
gether with  their  children,  often  sit  around  the  kettle, 
like  witches  around  a caldron,  uncombed,  half-naked, 
and  unwashed,  on  the  floorless  ground  of  their  dark, 
smoke-blackened,  windowless,  filthy  rooms,  which  pigs, 
dogs,  and  chickens  share  with  their  human  masters. 
There  they  sit,  men  and  women,  and  sot,  and  dote  upon 
one  another,  and  grin  and  simper,  or  sleep  in  each 
others  arms  or  laps,  or  dance,  and  sing,  and  revel, 
until  they  sink  to  the  dirty  ground,  overcome  and 
exhausted,  not  to  awake  till  the  next  morning,  when 
they  rise  to  repeat  the  scenes  of  the  previous  day.  As 
long  as  there  is  cliicTia  in  the  kettle,  or  a little  money 
in  their  pockets  to  buy  it  somewhere  else,  this  revelry 
will  be  carried  on.  This  is  the  manner  in  which  the 
Ecuadorian  Indian  has  been  civilized  by  his  Spanish 
conquerors. 

The  police  never  take  cognizance  of  cases  of  drunk 
enness,  either  because  they  are  not  considered  danger- 
ous to  the  public  peace,  or  because  they  are  of  hourly 
occurrence.  The  white  portion  of  the  community  never 
make  any  serious  efforts  to  raise  the  Indian  from  his 
abject  condition.  On  the  contrary,  the  general  tend- 


186  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


ency  among  his  superiors  is  to  oppress  and  degrade 
him  still  more.  Labor  being  considered  disreputable 
by  the  white  gentleman,  what  would  become  of  the 
country  if  the  Indians  were  to  be  enlightened  and  edu- 
cated, and  should  take  it  into  their  heads  occasionally 
to  be  something  better  than  mere  drudges?  They  are 
now  considered  as  little  better  than  beasts  of  burden, 
and  even  nicknamed  accordingly.  While  horses  and 
mules  are  called  bagages  mayores , asses  and  Indians  are 
called  bagages  menores ; that  is  to  say,  as  a beast  of 
burden,  the  Indian  is  considered  below  the  horse  and 
the  mule,  and  on  a level  with  the  donkey.  Kicks  and 
brutal  words  are  the  only  encouragement  he  receives 
from  his  betters,  before  whom  he  crouches  in  abject 
servility  and  cowardice.  In  former  times  there  were 
many  wealthy  Indians  in  Ecuador,  now  I know  of  but 
very  few.  The  Indian  has  no  chance  to  make  his  way 
in  life,  except  as  a beast  of  burden  and  a drudge.  It 
is  neither  in  him,  nor  in  the  circumstances  in  which  he 
lives,  to  be  any  thing  else.  He  is  destitute  of  all  ambi- 
tion, of  all  energy,  of  all  industry,  of  all  spirit  of  enter- 
prise. He  is  accustomed  to  be  a slave,  and  to  be  kicked 
and  brutally  treated,  all  his  lifetime.  He  does  not 
aspire  to  be  any  thing  else.  If  he  has  enough  to  give 
some  money  to  the  priest,  and  to  buy  his  raw  food 
(corn  or  barley  meal,  agi,  and  potatoes),  and  rum  and 
cJiicha  for  what  remains,  he  is  perfectly  satisfied.  Like 
children,  the  Indians  live  for  the  moment  only.  They 
never  think  of  the  morrow,  they  never  think  of  old  age. 
Their  improvidence  knows  no  bounds.  Their  women 
are  almost  entirely  destitute  of  that  little  vanity  with 
which  the  women  of  all  other  nations  attend  to  their 
dress  and  appearance.  It  is  much  if  they  bedeck  them- 
selves with  a necklace  or  bracelet  of  beads  or  false 


THE  INDIANS. 


187 


corals.  To  eat  to  excess  and  to  get  intoxicated,  are 
their  chief  wants  and  their  only  tastes.  A few  rags  to 
hang  around  their  bodies  and  to  cover  themselves  with 
at  night,  will  answer  their  purposes.  The  Indians 
need  no  bed,  for  they  sleep  on  lousy  sheep-skins  spread 
on  the  unfloored  ground  of  the  hovels  in  which  they 
live.  They  need  no  books,  for  they  cannot  read  ; they 
need  no  furniture,  for  they  cower  on  the  ground.  All 
their  money  that  does  not  find  its  way  into  the  bottom- 
less pockets  of  the  Church,  is  sacrificed  to  satisfy  their 
greedy  appetites.  They  are  strangers  to  the  higher 
emotions  of  human  nature.  Bashfulness,  hospitality, 
magnanimity,  compassion,  gratitude,  and  all  the  other 
virtues  by  which  good  men  excel,  are  unknown  among 
them.  They  are  completely  imbruted  ; completely 
stupefied.  They  have  forgotten  the  ancient  glorious 
traditions  of  their  race.  The  great  names  of  Huayna- 
capac  and  Atahuallpa  are  meaningless  sounds  to  their 
ears.  The  most  that  can  be  said  in  their  favor  is  that 
they  are  not  savages  ; they  are  humble  and  submissive, 
docile  and  obedient,  abject  and  timid ; and  if  we  except 
the  ill-treatment  of  their  wives,  they  scarcely  ever  com- 
mit acts  of  violence.  They  will  go  to  mass  with  the 
utmost  regularity  ; they  will  go  to  confession  as  often 
as  the  Church  prescribes  ; they  will  give  to  the  Church 
more  than  they  should,  in  justice  to  their  own  wants ; 
they  will  kneel  down  before  the  image  of  every  saint, 
and  prostrate  themselves  before  the  image  of  the  Holy 
Virgin  ; they  will  say  their  prayers  many  times  a day, 
and  will  punctually  comply  with  all  the  outward  ob- 
servances of  their  religion  ; they  will  carry  the  heavy 
statues  of  the  saints  at  the  many  processions  gotten  up 
by  the  Church  during  the  year,  and  they  will  carefully 
attend  their  own  separate  religious  festivals  and  process 


188  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


sions  ; but  they  know  nothing  of  religion  except  its 
outward  forms  and  ceremonies.  That  He  who  dined 
with  publicans  and  sinners,  and  selected  his  Apostles 
from  among  fishermen  and  peasants,  would  also  have 
extended  his  kind  hand  to  the  rightless  Indian,  is  a 
thought  foreign  to  their  ignorant  minds.  And  yet 
these  poor  creatures  are,  after  all,  the  most  useful  mem- 
bers of  Ecuadorian  society.  The  Indian  does  more 
work  than  all  the  other  races  together.  He  tills  the 
soil,  builds  houses  and  roads,  carries  heavy  loads,  and 
performs  all  that  hard  and  heavy  work  which  nobody 
else  could  be  hired  to  do.  He  is  harmless  and  inoffenr 
sive,  good-natured,  and  easily  manageable.  But  his 
position  in  the  social  scale  is  in  an  inverse  proportion 
to  his  usefulness.  He  is  far  below  the  North  American 
negro.  The  word  Indian  is  a term  of  contempt,  even 
among  Indians  themselves,  who  cannot  offer  a greater 
insult  to  oye  another  than  by  the  epithet  “ Indio  bruto  ” 
(Indian  brute).  They  will  never  call  one  another  bad 
names  without  strengthening  their  vocabulary  by  the 
term  u Indian,”  which  is  the  most  effective  and  most 
expressive  of  all. 

Filthy,  servile,  superstitious,  drunken,  indolent,  as 
they  are,  they  claim  our  sympathy  and  commiseration. 
These  poor  and  degraded  beings  were  once  the  owners 
and  masters  of  the  country,  and  the  subjects  of  a pow- 
erful empire.  The  ancestors  of  those  who  now  dwell 
in  miserable  huts,  had  built  stately  palaces  and  magnifi- 
cent temples,  and  vast  treasures  belonged  to  the  race 
that  now  bends  its  weary  neck  to  carry  the  burdens  of 
their  conquerors.  It  is  true  the  ancient  Indians  were 
slaves  also,  but  they  obeyed  masters  of  their  own  race. 
Under  the  sway  of  a patriarchal  government  which 
provided  for  all  its  children,  they  knew  at  least  no  pov- 


THE  INDIANS. 


189 


erty ; and  whatever  hard  work  they  were  compelled  to 
do,  they  did  cheerfully,  because  their  rulers  were  the 
embodiment  of  their  religion.  At  their  revels  nowa- 
days, they  sing  and  dance  to  the  tune  of  a drum  and 
fife,  or  the  harp,  or  an  instrument  resembling  the  an- 
cient rebeck.  It  is  but  one  and  the  same  sad  and 
monotonous  tune  they  play,  and  to  which  they  sing 
i,nd  dance  for  hours  and  days.  The  same  tune  that 
enlivens  them  at  their  festivals,  resounds  at  their  funer- 
als; -Lut  that  tune  is  full  of  the  deepest  significance. 
It  is  slow  and  plaintive,  like  the  mourning  of  a sub- 
jected race,  bewailing  the  loss  of  its  ancient  greatness, 
and  its  present  misery  and  degradation. 


CHAPTER  XI. 


Agriculture.  — Wooden  Plows.  — Mechanic  Arts.  — Improvidence  of  the 
People.  — Beggars.  — Commerce  of  the  Interior.  — Want  of  Enterprise. 

— City  lit  with  Tallow  Candles.  — Needlework  and  Embroidery. — 
Fine  Arts.  — Painting.  — Splendid  Copyists.  — Cheapness  of  Paintings. 

— Saints  and  Martyrs.  — A Scene  from  Purgatory. — The  Liberal  Pro- 
fessions.— The  Law. — Tinterillus.  — System  of  Jurisprudence.  — The 
Country  without  a Penitentiary.  — Physicians.  — Drug  Stores.  — The 
Hospicio.  — Leprosy  and  Elephantiasis.  — Female  Prison  and  Lunatic 
Asylum.  — The  Hospital.  — No  Room  for  Wounded  Soldiers.  — The 
Young  Men  of  Quito. 

In  one  of  the  preceding  chapters,  I referred  to  the 
melancholy  fact,  that  in  agriculture  almost  no  prog- 
-tfess  has  been  made  since  the  conquest.  Wooden 
plows  are  still  in  use.  The  Indian  who  tills  the  soil, 
trained  to  a blind  routine  and  as  thoughtless  as  a 
child,  is  averse  to  all  improvement.  The  process  of 
threshing  is  performed  by  horses,  which  are  driven 
over  the  wheat  to  stamp  out  the  grain  with  their 
hoofs.  Butter  churns,  as  I have  already  said,  are 
unknown.  To  separate  the  corn  from  the  cob,  in 
some  parts  of  the  country,  for  instance  in  the  valleys 
of  Puembo  and  Yaruqui,  heavy  wooden  shoes  are 
used,  with  which  an  Indian  dances  on  the  spikes, 
until  the  work  is  accomplished.  Hogs  are  singed, 
not  with  hot  water,  but  with  burning  straw  placed  on 
their  bodies.  Spades  I never  saw.  Hoes  are  of  the 
most  awkward  and  impracticable  construction.  Mod- 
ern machinery  for  other  agricultural  purposes  is  not 
dreamed  of.  Every  thing  is  done  by  hand,  and  as 
slowly  as  possible. 


MECHANIC  ARTS. 


191 


The  same  helplessness  prevails  with  reference  to 
mechanic  arts.  There  is  not  a good  shoemaker  in 
Quito.  The  native  shoemakers  do  not  know  how  to 
take  the  measure  of  a foot.  If  you  have  no  lasts  to 
give  them,  your  boots  will  be  guess-work.  The  proc- 
ess of  tanning  is  equally  unknown.  The  leather  is 
beaten  against  a stone  until  it  becomes  pliable.  Boots 
and  shoes,  therefore,  will  pinch  until  they  commence 
to  tear.  To  shoe  a horse,  takes  almost  a whole  day, 
and  square  nails  of  about  one  third  of  an  inch  in  thick- 
ness are  driven  into  the  hoof.  But  the  ugliest  feature 
of  transactions  with  mechanics  is  their  asking  for 
money  in  advance,  either  to  buy  the  stuff  or  material 
on  which  they  are  to  work,  or  to  have  something 
to  live  on  while  engaged  in  the  task.  Thev  will 
beg  as  long  as  you  are  willing  to  give.  If  you  give 
much,  the  probability  is  that  they  will  spend  the1 
money  without  doing  the  work.  In  many  cases  re- 
course  must  be  had  to  the  police,  in  order  to  compel  a 
dishonest  artisan  to  perform  an  obligation  for  which 
he  has  been  paid  in  advance.  In  this  respect  the 
character  of  the  people  has  not  changed  since  Ulloa 
complained  of  their  unreliability  and  bad  faith.  As  he 
described  them  in  1TB9,  so  I found  them  in  1864. 

Upon  one  occasion,  I wanted  two  book-cases  made. 
I sent  for  a cabinet  maker,  and  showed  him  an  old 
case,  after  the  model  of  which  I wanted  the  new  ones 
made.  He  had  no  measure  or  inch-rod,  but  measured 
the  case  with  little  pieces  of  wood  and  straw,  which 
he  cut  so  as  to  suit  the  required  dimensions.  After 
a long  consultation  with  a partner,  or  workman,  whom 
he  had  brought  along,  he  asked  two  months’  time  to 
finish  the  cases ; but,  yielding  to  my  remonstrances, 
he  finally  agreed  to  have  them  ready  in  six  weeks. 


192  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


During  this  time  he  returned  frequently  to  measure 
the  old  case  over  and  over  again,  and  always  in 
the  same  tedious  and  awkward  manner,  — sometimes 
spending  half  an  hour  in  measuring  and  deliberating 
with  his  companion.  Of  course,  he  asked  for  money 
incessantly.  First,  he  wanted  it  to  buy  boards,  which 
he  said  were  very  dear.  Next  he  wanted  money  to 
buy  locks.  Then,  again,  he  protested  that  he  had 
nothing  to  live  on ; but  I remained  inflexible,  and 
owing  probably  to  my  stern  refusals,  the  cases  were 
ready  shortly  after  the  required  time. 

Still,  it  is  generally  indispensable  to  pay  a part  of  the 
price  in  advance,  for  even  master  mechanics  are  al- 
most always  without  the  funds  to  buy  the  necessary 
materials.  These  cholos  live  like  the  Indians,  from 
one  day  to  the  other.  To  the  improvidence  of  the 
people,  the  great  number  of  beggars  must  chiefly  be 
ascribed.  My  servants  used  to  spend  their  monthly 
wages  as  soon  as  they  received  them,  if  they  had  not 
already  spent  them  in  advance.  Give  one  of  these 
careless  creatures  ten  dollars  to-day,  and  he  will  ask 
you  for  a real  to-morrow.  I often  told  them  that  their 
fate  would  be  that  of  those  hundreds  of  beggars  who, 
on  Saturdays,  crowded  the  palace  of  the  archbishop 
and  the  houses  of  the  principal  inhabitants ; but  my 
exhortations  produced  no  effect. 

There  are  several  trades  in  which  considerable  clev- 
erness is  displayed.  Silver  and  gold  smiths  and  wood- 
^ carvers  especially,  deserve  to  be  mentioned  for  their 
skill.  But  in  almost  all  other  tnechanic  arts  the  people 
of  Ecuador  are  centuries  behind  the  age.  The  crudest 
tools  and  implements  are  used,  and  weeks  and  months 
are  required  for  what,  in  other  countries,  would  be  ac- 
complished in  a few  days. 


SHIFTLESS  MODES  OF  LABOR. 


193 


In  1862,  President  Garcia  Moreno  commenced  the 
construction  of  a wagon-road  from  Quito  to  Guaya- 
quil. The  necessity  of  the  work  had  always  been 
felt  and  admitted,  and  many  a congress  had  decreed 
that  it  should  be  done,  prefixing  long  strings  of  pomp- 
ous whereases  to  its  resolutions ; but,  instead  of  build- 
ins  new  roads,  the  old  ones  were  suffered  to  become 
entirely  impassable.  At  last  Mr.  Moreno  undertook 
the  task.  But  it  was  a lamentable  sight  to  see  how  it 
had  to  be  carried  on.  Heavy  excavations  had  to  be 
made  through  the  high  hills  on  both  sides  of  the  old 
mule-path.  There  were  no  instruments  except  crow- 
bars and  shovels.  There  were  no  spades  and  pickaxes 
to  dig  with,  nor  carts  or  wheelbarrows  to  haul  away 
the  earth.  It  had  to  be  filled  in  sheep-skins  and  pon- 
chos, which  the  Indians  carried  on  their  backs,  and 
with  which  they  climbed  up  the  hills  where  they  de- 
posited their  scanty  contents.  Two  foot-paths  were 
made,  leading  to  the  summit.  One  of  them  the  car- 
riers ascended  with  their  loads,  to  return  by  the  other. 
Paving-stones,  lime  and. bricks  for  the  construction  of 
bridges,  as  well  as  the  necessary  tools  and  instruments, 
were  carried  in  the  same  manner  on  human  backs. 
Sometimes  beasts  of  burden  were  used  ; but  the  prin- 
cipal and  cheapest  beast  of  burden  is  the  Indian.  He 
does  not  work  voluntarily,  not  even  when  paid  for 
his  labor,  but  is  pressed  into  the  service  of  the  gov- 
ernment for  a certain  length  of  time,  at  the  expiration 
cf  which  he  is  discharged  and  another  forced  into  his 
place.  He  works  unwillingly,  and  is  kept  to  his  task 
by  the  whip  of  the  overseer.  It  is  evident  that  but 
little  progress  could  be  made  under  these  circum- 
stances. But  slowness  is  one  of  the  chief  features 
of  the  country.  To  build  houses  is  an  equally  helpless 
13 


194  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICAN8. 


task.  The  timber  required  for  building  purposes  is 
brought  to  Quito  with  oxen.  Generally  but  one  or 
two  beams  are  tied  with  a long  rope  to  a yoke  of  oxen, 
and  thus  dragged  along  on  the  ground  ; and  this  in  an 
age  of  steam  and  electricity. 

The  commerce  of  the  interior  corresponds  with  the 
deplorable  condition  of  its  agriculture  and  industry. 
Commodities  and  luxuries  of  life  which  have  to  be  im- 
ported are  very  expensive,  and  at  certain  seasons,  not 
to  be  had  at  all.  Excepting  the  high  districts  around 
Pichincha,  Cotopaxi,  Chimborazo,  and  Tulcan,  coffee 
grows  in  every  province  of  the  republic ; and  yet  it 
happens  sometimes  that  the  supply  of  coffee  at  Quito 
gives  out  entirely.  I remember  one  occasion  when  not 
a pound  could  be  procured  in  the  capital.  The  mer- 
chants of  Quito  are  without  enterprise.  Indolence  and 
inactivity  pervade  all  classes  of  the  people.  A shop- 
keeper opens  his  store  at  about  seven  o’clock  in  the 
morning,  or  later,  and  shuts  it  at  nine  to  go  to  break- 
fast. At  ten  or  half  past  ten  he  returns.  At  two  or 
three  he  shuts  up  again  to  go  to  dinner,  after  which 
he  saunters  back  to  the  shop  at  about  four  or  half  past 
four.  At  six  or  half  past  six  in  the  evening  he  closes  up 
for  good,  there  being  no  business  done  after  dark.  It  is 
only  a few  cigar  stores  that  are  kept  open  after  night- 
fall, lighted  by  one  or  two  melancholy  tallow  candles. 
Idle  streets  are  lit  in  the  same  way.  Every  house- 
holder is  obliged  to  hang  out  a tallow  candle  in  a lan- 
tern at  seven  p.  M.,  provided  there  is  no  moonshine. 
At  ten  o’clock  the  candle  ends  have  generally  burnt 
down,  and  darkness  reigns. 

. To  get  any  thing  done,  is  certainly  a difficult  task  in 
Ecuador.  Nobody  is  in  a hurry.  Nobody  can  get 
ready.  Every  step  is  beset  with  difficulties,  delays, 


NEEDLEWORK  AND  EMBROIDERY. 


195 


procrastinations,  and  disappointments.  Every  thing  is 
troublesome.  The  simplest  transactions  of  daily  life 
are  full  of  impediments,  obstacles,  and  vexations.  It 
requires  endless  talk  to  make  a bargain  with  a sales- 
man, arriero , or  mechanic  ; but  the  bargain  is  hardly 
made  when  the  other  party  will  want  to  have  it 
cl  landed  again,  and  ask  for  more  favorable  conditions. 
But  few  persons  can  be  met  with  whose  word  or  prom- 
ise can  be  relied  on.  Mechanics  will  work  for  three 
or  four  days,  and  then  suddenly  stay  away,  especially 
when  they  have  succeeded  in  getting  some  money  in 
advance.  To  move  from  one  hoiise  to  another,  — 
there  being  no  carts  or  wagons,  — the  services  of'  about 
a dozen  Indians  will  be  required,  whom  it  will  not 
always  be  easy  to  find.  They  will  groan  and  chatter 
incessantly  ; it  will  be  necessary  to  spur  them  on  and 
watch  them  continually  ; and  after  you  have  paid  them 
their  own  price,  they  will  commence  to  bother  you  for 
an  additional  sum  to  buy  chicha  or  aguardiente.  I 
have  already  said  that  the  Indian  does  not  care  to  earn 
money.  As  long  as  absolute  necessity  does  not  compel 
him  to  do  a little  work,  he  will  not  look  out  for  em- 
ployment, nor  accept  it  when  it  is  tendered  to  him.  It 
is  necessary  to  coax  him  to  carry  a load  or  a message. 
I once  met  one  of  the  public  water-carriers  on  the 
street,  and  asked  him  whether  he  would  not  bring  a 
jar  of  water  to  my  house.  He  replied  in  the  blandest 
and  most  submissive  manner,  u No,  mi  amo  (my  mas- 
ter), I ’d  rather  not.” 

There  are  some  branches,  however,  in  which  the 
natives  of  Quito  manifest  considerable  proficiency. 
Among  these,  ornamental  needlework  deserves  to  be 
honorably  mentioned.  Handkerchiefs,  collars,  che- 


196  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


mises,  petticoats,  bed-sheets,1  towels,  etc.,  are  em- 
broidered in  the  most  beautiful  manner.  This  kind  of 
work  requires  extraordinary  patience  and  perseverance, 
and  is  comparatively  but  poorly  paid.  Lace,  too,  is 
manufactured  in  great  quantities,  and  without  machin- 
ery, and  although  not  so  tasteful,  is  much  more  dura- 
ble than  European  lace.  The  embroidery  and  lace  of 
Quito  are  well  known,  and  in  considerable  demand  at 
Guayaquil  and  Lima. 

Of  the  fine  arts,  painting  is  greatly  cultivated.  The 
number  of  painters  is  very  great,  and  some  of  them  are 
men  of  talent,  and  even  genius.  But  their  defect  is 
want  of  originality.  They  can  copy  from  other  paint- 
ings, but  they  cannot  copy  from  nature,  or  conceive  an 
idea  of  their  own.  It  was  only  at  my  suggestion  that 
Rafael  Salas,  one  of  the  best  painters  in  Quito,  left  the 
beaten  track,  and  undertook  to  paint  Ecuadorian  scen- 
ery and  costumbres  (customs).  But  the  prices  paid  for 
paintings  are  too  miserable  to  encourage  artists.  Copies 
from  Horace  Yernet,  Correggio,  and  others,  for  which, 
-tin  my  return  home,  I was  offered  $200  apiece,  I had 
bought  for  $30  or  $40.  Still,  I always  paid  more  than 
a native  would  have  given.  Mr.  Salas  often  told  me 

1 The  bed  is  one  of  the  principal  objects  of  the  care  and  expense  of  old- 
fashioned  Quitonians.  It  is  generally  in  an  alcove,  the  framework  of 
which  is  sculptured,  richly  gilt,  and  hung  with  damask  or  velvet.  The 
bedstead  is  finely  carved,  the  sheets  and  pillow-cases  are  beautifully  em- 
broidered and  trimmed  with  home-made  lace.  During  the  day  the  cur- 
tains are  undrawn,  that  the  bed  may  be  seen  Much  less,  if  an}’,  care  is 
bestowed  upon  the  extermination  of  fleas,  with  which  the  rooms  of  the 
rich  as  well  as  the  poor  are  infested.  The  rooms  are  generally  shut. 
Fresh  air  is  excluded  with  great  care.  Even  on  haciendas  in  the  country 
it  is  sometimes  deadening  to  enter  the  well-furnished  but  unventilated 
rooms,  the  pent-up  atmosphere  of  which  reminds  us  of  a sepulchre  rather 
than  a dwelling-house  This  custom  of  keeping  every  thing  closed  is  but 
too  favorable  to  the  propagation  of  fleas. 


FINE  ARTS.  — PAINTING. 


197 


that  his  principal  supporters  were  the  foreigners  who 
came  to  Quito  from  time  to  time.  The  natives  seldom 
pay  more  than  *$16  or  $20  for  a large-sized  portrait. 
Other  pictures  of  merit  are  sold  from  $4  to  $20,  ac- 
cording to  their  size  — prices  that  are  hardly  sufficient 
to  pay  for  the  canvas  and  colors.  Painters,  therefore, 
instead  of  endeavoring  to  study  and  to  improve,  have 
to  daub  off  saints  and  Virgins  to  earn  their  daily  bread. 
Superstition  must  support  them.  The  painted  saints 
and  Virgins  of  Quito  are  not  only  sold  all  over  the 
country,  but  exported  to  other  parts  of  South  and  Cen- 
tral America.  They  are  as  bad  as  cheap.  Martyrol- 
ogy,  hell,  and  purgatory,  are  frequently  drawn  upon 
for  subjects.  Such  pieces  are  always  conceived  in  a 
loathsome  spirit  of  butchery  and  extravagance,  to  awe 
the  vulgar.  I cannot  refrain  from  describing  one  of 
them  as  characteristic  of  Spanish  civilization.  It  was 
a view  of  purgatory.  The  lower  part  represented  the 
fiery  pit  in  which  the  poor  souls  were  suffering.  Men 
and  women,  old  and  young,  handsome  and  ugly,  kings, 
knights,  and  bishops,  were  huddled  together  in  agony. 
Even  a pope,  with  a tiara  on  his  head,  was  among 
the  rueful  company.  They  were  all  cutting  dreadful 
faces,  some  expressive  of  repentance,  others  of  despair. 
Some  were  praying  with  uplifted  arms  and  clasped 
hands,  others  bowed  down  their  heads  in  utter  dejec- 
tion. The  negro  element,  too,  was  represented  by  one 
or  two  specimens.  A little  above  this  lowest  and 
largest  group,  the  tortures  which  the  inhabitants  of  that 
unhappy  place  are  believed  to  undergo,  were  repre- 
sented. Two  poor  fellows  were  hanging  on  a gibbet, 
where  they  had  to  endure  continual  agonies  without 
being  able  to  die.  To  their  right  hand  was  a large, 
fiery  oven,  with  two  apertures  to  it.  Through  one  of 


198  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


them  a caldron  was  visible,  in  which  a select  company 
of  five  or  six  sinners  were  boiling  or  roasting.  * On  the 
top  of  the  fiery  furnace  knelt  five  or  six  souls  that 
were  already  purged  of  their  sins.  They  were  painted 
white,  and  lifted  their  arms  toward  heaven.  Two  or 
three  others  were  seen  flying  up  to  heaven,  at  the  en- 
trance of  which  they  were  received  by  a negro  bishop, 
who  kindly  helped  them  in.  But  the  ugliest  contri- 
vance below  was  a large  wheel,  to  which  the  naked 
bodies  of  several  unfortunate  sinners  were  tied.  This 
wheel  revolved  so  near  to  a heavy  post  from  which  two 
or  three  sharp-pointed  iron  hooks  protruded,  that  they 
tore  up  the  breast  and  entrails  of  the  wretched  suf- 
ferers. Within  the  wheel  there  were  other  penitents 
enwrapped  in  flames.  Near  by,  a man  was  fixed  upon  a 
stake,  which  ran  through  his  body  and  came  out  of  his 
head.  Other  sufferers  were  swimming  promiscuously 
in  a lake  of  fire.  A little  further  up  there  was  a large 
basin  of  water  in  which  souls  were  bathing,  but  for 
what  purpose  I do  not  know.  Some  said  it  represented 
a bath  of  ice,  destined  to  make  the  sinner  change  from 
the  pangs  of  parching  heat  to  the  pains  of  freezing 
cold.  Close  to  this  bath  was  a crowded  prison  with  a 
small  door  in  its  upper  corner,  which  an  angel,  with  a 
chalice  in  one  hand  and  a key  in  the  other,  had  come 
to  open.  Just  above  this  prison,  and  apparently  a part 
of  the  same  building,  was  a chapel,  in  which  a priest 
was  saying  mass  for  the  souls  below.  To  this  happy 
circumstance  they  owed  their  deliverance  by  the  angel. 
This  part  of  the  picture  was  the  “ argumentum  ad 
hominem ,”  advertising  the  great  advantage  of  having 
masses  said  for  the  souls  of  deceased  relatives.  It 
was  supported  by  another  device  : a bridge  in  the  form 
of  an  arch  was  spanned  from  the  land  of  death  to  the 


FINE  ARTS.  — LIBERAL  PROFESSIONS. 


199 


gate  of  paradise,  just  in  tlie  rear  of  the  altar  before 
which  the  priest  was  officiating.  This  bridge,  like  the 
one  leading  to  the  paradise  of  the  Mohammedans, 
seemed  to  he  thin  as  a hair  and  sharp  as  a‘  sword. 
Some  souls  passed  over  it  in  safety,  while  others  tum- 
bled down  into  the  fiery  abyss  below.  Angels  hovered 
over  the  bridge,  encouraging  the  righteous,  or  throw- 
ing morsels  of  heavenly  bread  into  the  pool  for  the 
relief  of  the  sufferers.  A saintly  woman  knelt  on  an 
elevation  above  the  chapel  just  described,  with  a bas- 
ket of  bread  in  one  hand.  She  distributed  the  bread 
among  the  angels,  who  threw  or  took  it  to  the  wretches 
in  the  pit.  On  high  there  was  the  Virgin  Mary  with 
the  Christ-child  on  her  lap,  and  surrounded  on  both 
sides  by  an  ugly  company  of  shabby  monks  and  nuns, 
who  were  praying  for  the  penitents  below.  Some  of 
these  monks  had  wings  like  angels  ; every  one  of  them 
had  a broad  tonsure  on  his  head  ; and  one  of  the  fe- 
male saints  held  a child  in  her  arms.  The  whole  party 
knelt,  with  the  exception  of  the  Virgin,  who  looked 
down  mercifully  on  the  suppliants  in  purgatory.  As 
the  negro  element  was  represented  above  and  below, 
my  eye  searched  for  Indians,  but  in  vain.  For  them 
there  seems  to  be  no  place  either  in  heaven  or  in  pur- 
gatory. Even  the  pious  brush  of  the  artist  dooms 
them  to  that  third  place,  from  wlfich  there  is  no  escape. 
This  picture,  thoroughly  Spanish  in  its  conception  and 
execution,  is  a favorite  piece  with  the  rabble  of  Quito, 
and  copies  of  it  are  continually  being  made  for  chapels 
and  private  oratories. 

From  the  arts  let  us  turn  to  the  liberal  professions. 
A young  man  of  good  family,  who  has  nothing  to  do 
except  to  assist  in  the  superintendence  of  the  family 
estate,  will  always  be  sent  to  college,  or  to  the  Univer- 


200  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


sity,1  for  the  purpose  of  acquiring  the  title  of  “ Doctor.” 
That  title  is  as  common  in  Quito,  as  the  decoration  of 
the  u legion  d'honneur  ” in  France.  Every  white  person 
respectably  dressed,  may  safely  be  presumed  to  hold  it. 
The  proverb  non  omnes  doctores , says  Caldas,  the  Gra- 
nadian naturalist,  does  not  apply  to  Quito.  Honorable 
and  flattering  as  the  title  may  be,  I do  not  believe  it  is 
very  profitable.  Lawyers,  for  instance,  innumerable  as 
they  are,  have  nothing  to  do.  They  do  not  even  keep 
offices,  but  are  consulted  at  their  residences.  There  is 
but  very  little  law  business.  Of  criminal  practice  it 
would  be  unnecessary  to  speak.  I have  already  said 
that  but  very  few  crimes  are  committed.  Only  cases 
of  petty  larceny  or  cattle  stealing  are  of  frequent  occur- 
rence, and  the  usual  plea  or  excuse  is  the  temptation  of 
poverty,  the  usual  defense  a recommendation  to  the 


1 “ Education  has  never  been  patronized  by  the  Government  or  Congress; 
for  which  reason  the  system  at  present  pursued  must  be  considered  objec- 
tionable, inasmuch  as  attention  is  principally  devoted  to  the  study  of  law, 
medicine,  and  theology,  to  the  neglect  of  practical  science.  From  my  con- 
nection with  the  University,  I am  enabled  to  subjoin  a statement  of  the 
branches  of  knowledge  taught  in  that  institution,  with  the  annual  salary 


paid  to  each  professor:  — 

Latin  and  Spanisli  Grammar $450  00 

Canonical  Law 300  00 

Civil  Law 300  00 

Economical  and  Political  Legislation  ....  300  00 

Natural  Law,  administrative  and  Constitutional  Science  300  00 

Anatomy 300  00 

Physiology 300  00 

Pathology,  Medical  J urisprudence,  and  Midwifery  . 300  00 

Clinical  Medicine,  Materia  Medica,  and  Pharmacy  . . 300  00 

Chemistry  and  Botany  (Dr.  Jameson)  . . . 300  00 

Literature 300  00 

Secretary  of  University  receives  salary  of  . . . 300  00 

Vice-Secretary 200  00 


Total $3,950  00 


“ The  receipts  of  the  University  amount  annually  to  the  sum  of  from 
$4000  to  $4500.  No  fees  are  paid  by  the  students  to  the  Professors.”  — 
From  Dr.  Jameson's  Manuscript  Notes. 


LIBERAL  PROFESSIONS.  — THE  LAW. 


201 


mercy  of  the  court.  Such  practice,  of  course,  cannot 
be  very  lucrative.  For  a defendant  who  has  no  means, 
the  court  appoints  an  attorney,  who  is  bound  to  serve 
without  compensation.  Civil  practice  is  but  little  better. 
Quito  is  not  a mercantile  town.  But  few  commercial 
questions  arise  which  cannot  be  disposed  of  without  the 
intervention  of  lawyers,  by  the  u juez  de  comercio  ” 
(commercial  judge),  an  inferior  tribunal.  The  only 
important  questions  that  arise,  are  questions  of  in- 
heritance, involving  the  title  to  large  estates.  But 
these  are  too  few  and  far  between  to  support  an  inde- 
pendent legal  profession.  In  civil  cases  of  less  impor- 
tance, attorneys  are  not  expected  to  ask  for  a compen- 
sation. The  principal  families  are  always,  in  some 
degree,  related  to  each  other,  and  two  or  three  lawyers 
are  always  to  be  found  within  the  family  circle.  Hence, 
the  cousin,  the  nephew,  the  brother-in-law,  will  have 
to  take  charge  of  the  current  court  business  of  the 
family,  in  consideration  of  love  and  affection.  It  would 
be  preposterous  on  their  part,  to  suggest  the  idea  of 
payment.  A plate  of  fresh  bread,  a box  of  preserves, 
a dish  of  sweetmeats,  or  a few  bottles  of  wine,  are 
considered  a sufficient  recompense  for  the  successful 
attorney.  It  requires  an  established  reputation  and  a 
good  practice,  to  arrive  at  a yearly  income  of  from 
$200  to  $600.  Hence,  gentlemen  of*  the  bar  will  pay 
but  little  attention  to  the  business  which  they  may 
have  in  court,  if  they  have  haciendas  which  require 
their  superintendence.  It  is  their  property  and  not 
their  profession,  on  which  they  depend  for  subsist- 
ence. Their  profession  pays  only  when  they  are  lucky 
enough  to  secure  a judgeship  or  other  judicial  appoint- 
ment. Nevertheless,  the  town  is  infested  with  a num- 
ber of  pettifogging  scribes,  not  admitted  to  the  bar, 


202  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


who  are  continually  stirring  up  litigation,  or  volunteer- 
ing their  advice  and  assistance.  They  are  called  tin- 
terillos , or  inkworms,  a class  well  known  to  Spanish 
caricaturists  and  playwrights. 

The  Ecuadorian  system  of  jurisprudence  is  based  on 
the  Code  Napoleon,  the  Roman  Law,  and  the  Spanish 
Institutes.  Criminal  cases  are  tried  by  jury.  In  civil 
cases  juries  are  not  admissible.  There  are  parochial 
judges,  corresponding  to  our  justices  of  the  peace ; 
commercial  judges,  and  alcaldes  municipales , corre- 
sponding to  our  courts  of  common  pleas.  Then  there 
are  superior  courts  and  a supreme  court.  From  the 
commercial  courts  of  Guayaquil  there  is  no  appeal  "to 
the  supreme  court.  Capital  punishment  is  inflicted  by 
shooting.  Penitentiaries  there  are  none ; offenders 
are  condemned  to  perform  public  works,  such  as 
sweeping  or  repairing  streets  — a punishment  which 
but  very  seldom  reaches  criminals  belonging  to  the 
higher  classes.  These  are  either  allowed  to  escape, 
or  they  are  not  prosecuted  at  all. 

In  jury  trials  the  attorneys  are  not  allowed  to  ap- 
peal to  the  sympathies  or  feelings  of  the  jurors.  Their 
eloquence  is  restricted  by  the  narrowest  and  most 
jealous  rules.  Witnesses  are  not  examined  by  the 
attorneys,  but  by  the  judge.  If  an  attorney  wants  to 
ask  the  witness  a question,  he  submits  it  to  the  judge, 
who  repeats  it  to  the  witness,  thus  giving  the  latter 
time  to  prepare  his  answer.  If  a witness  fails  to  ap- 
pear, his  original  deposition  may  be  read,  even  in 
criminal  cases.  The  number  of  petit  jurors  is  nine. 
There  is  a jurado  de  acusacion , which  resembles  our 
grand  jury.  The  system  of  new  trials  is  unknown. 

Physicians  are  paid  much  better  than  attorneys  ; 
but  the  number  of  those  who  enjoy  a good  practice 


PHYSICIANS  AND  DRUG-STORES. 


203 


can  be  but  small.  The  population  of  Quito  is  not 
much  more  than  40,000.  Of  these,  probably  two  fifths 
are  pure  Indians,  who  never  submit  to  scientific  med- 
ical treatment.  Two  fifths  are  cliolos,  mestizos,  and 
negroes,  too  poor  to  pay  a physician.  Medical  men 
must  depend,  therefore,  on  the  last  fifth,  consisting  of 
white  men  and  the  wealthier  portion  of  the  mixed  races. 
But  physicians,  as  a general  rule,  are  not  very  fond  of 
their  practice.  If  they  have  haciendas  in  the  country, 
the  superintendence  of  these  will  be  more  important) 
to  the  doctor  than  his  sick  list.  Every  now  and  then 
he  goes  to  the  country,  leaving  his  patients  to  take 
care  of  themselves.  And  even  while  in  town  he  for- 
gets his  medical  calls  but  too  willingly.  If  the  patient 
is  not  in  danger,  he  visits  him  as  seldom  as  possible. 
He  promises  to  come,  but  either  neglects  or  forgets  it, 
and  finally  stays  away  whether  the  man  is  well  or  not. 
A patient  who  wishes  to  pass  through  a thorough  med- 
ical treatment  must  run  after  his  physician  continually. 
He  must  visit  the  doctor  instead  of  being;  visited  bv 


him.  In  this  the  physician  follows  but  the  general 
custom  of  the  country.  I never  saw  a people  who 
cared  so  little  for  “ making  money  ” as  the  serranos  of 
Ecuador.  Time,  as  I have  already  said,  has  no  value. 
Nobody  is  in  a hurry ; nobody  seems  to  be  busy. 
There  is  no  occupation  so  pressing  as  not  to  bear  post- 
ponement. Vuelva  V.  manana  (come  back  to-mor- 
row), the  great  motto  of  Spain,  has  been  fully  nat- 
uralized in  her  former  American  colonies. 

Drug-stores  (there  are  but  three  of  them  in  Quito) 
are  kept  in  a manner  corresponding  to  the  general 
want  of  activity  and  enterprise.  The  apothecary  does 
not  furnish  the  bottles  or  boxes  for  the  medicines 
which  he  compounds.  If  the  remedy  you  require  is  a 


204  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


liquid,  you  must  send  a bottle,  a cup,  or  a glass  with 
the  prescription,  to  fill  it  in.  Sometimes  the  simplest 
and  most  necessary  remedies  are  not  to  be  bad.  I 
remember  that  on  one  occasion,  only  with  great  diffi- 
culty, four  ounces  of  castor-oil  could  be  obtained ; and 
this  in  a country  where  the  castor-plant  grows  wild, 
and  in  the  woods  of  which  the  most  precious  balsams 
and  medicinal  herbs  abound.  But  the  medicinal  plants 
which  are  found  in  the  mountains,  in  the  valleys,  and 
in  the  forests  of  Ecuador,  on  both  sides  of  the  Cordil- 
lera, are  waste  treasures.  No  drugs  are  extracted 
from  them,  and  their  very  existence  is  better  known 
to  scientific  foreigners  than  to  the  natives  of  the  coun- 
try. Some  most  valuable  specifics  are  known  to  the 
Indians,  especially  to  those  of  the  Napo  wilderness ; 
but  the  chemists  and  physicians  of  the  country  do  not 
take  much  trouble  to  ascertain  their  medicinal  prop- 
erties. 

On  the  northern  slope  of  Mount  Panecillo,  over- 
looking the  city,  and  commanding  a very  fine  view,  is 
the  Hospicio , a cluster  of  buildings  devoted  to  three 
very  incongruous  purposes.  It  is  used  as  a prison  for 
the  female  convicts,  a lunatic  asylum,  and  a hospital 
for  the  elephantiacos  or  leperos.  The  insane  are  not 
subjected  to  a methodical,  scientific  treatment.  They 
run  about  in  the  corridors  and  pateos  as  they  please, 
and  are  locked  up  only  when  they  are  considered 
dangerous.  I noted  more  cases  of  idiocy  than  of  in- 
sanity.  The  elephantiasis , or  leprosy,  is  a horrible  dis- 
ease, which  has  hitherto  been  considered  incurable  and 
contagious.1  It  very  often  causes  a swelling  of  the 
face  or  limbs,  and  manifests  itself  in  horrible  sores, 
which  eat  off  the  noses,  fingers,  lips,  or  cheeks  of  the 

1 Tubercular  Elephantiasis. 


THE  HOSPICIO. 


205 


patients.  It  is  of  comparatively  recent  appearance, 
for  when  the  hospicio  was  built,  it  was  not  yet  known 
in  Quito.  In  Cuenca  it  is  of  more  frequent  occur- 
rence than  in  other  parts  of  the  republic.  The  num- 
ber of  patients  in  the  hospicio  of  Quito  approaches 
one  hundred.  The  disease  in  its  manifestations  bears 
a resemblance  to  the  ravages  of  secondary  and  tertiary 
syphilis.  The  poor  victims  live  together  in  the  upper 
part  of  the  hospicio , where  they  have  their  gardens, 
and  aVe  eveii  allowed  to  intermarry.  Their  fate  is 
dreadful.  They  are  excluded  from  all  intercourse 
with  their  fellow-men,  while  certain  and  inevitable 
destruction  carries  them  slowly  but  irresistibly  to  an 
untiinelv  grave.  They  can  daily  watch  the  steadv 
progress  of  the  horrid  affliction,  conscious  that  there  is 
no  remedy  by  which  their  doom  might  be  averted. 
There  is  a chapel  in  the  hospicio , where  mass  is  said 
every  Sunday  and  holy  day,  and  other  religious  exer- 
cises take  place.  On  such  occasions  the  female  pris- 
oners and  the  lunatics  assemble  in  the  hall  below,  and 
the  lepers  in  the  choir  above.  I once  saw  them  all 
assembled  — a frightful  spectacle  of  decomposition  of 
living  beings.  I listened  to  their  singing,  monotonous 
and  plaintive,  and  it  rang  in  my  ears  long  after  I had 
left  the  place. 

The  street  running  down  from  the  hospicio  leads  to 
the  hospital  maintained  by  the  municipality.  After 
having  read  Mrs.  Ida  Pfeiffer’s  description  of  that 
institution,  I felt  loth  to  enter  it.  From  mv  knowl- 
edge of  the  country,  however,  I am  inclined  to  believe 
that  Mrs.  Pfeiffer  did  not  exaggerate.  The  funds  of 
the  hospital  are  very  scanty.  In  1864,  a number  of 
patients  had  to  be  turned  out,  because  there  was  no 


206  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


money  to  provide  for  more  tlian  the  number  allowed 
by  law.  Those  poor  helpless  creatures  crept  from 
house  to  house,  appealing  to  the  charity  of  the  in- 
habitants. Among  the  victims  that  were  thus  cast 
upon  the  streets,  were  many  wounded  soldiers,  who 
had  shed  their  blood  at  Cuaspud,  in  the  war  with 
New  Granada,  — poor  wretches  whom  the  govern- 
ment had  impressed  into  the  army,  and  afterwards 
allowed  to  be  driven  from  their  miserable  pallets  to 
perish  in  the  streets.  In  any  other  country,  or  among 
any  other  race  of  men,  steps  would  have  been  taken 
immediately  to  relieve  the  sufferings  of  those  unfor- 
tunate beings.  Committees  would  have  been  formed, 
money  would  have  been  contributed  and  placed  at  the 
disposal  of  the  directors  of  the  hospital.  Not  so  among 
the  serranos  of  * Ecuador.  They  are  good-natured, 
affable,  polite,  attentive,  hospitable,  and  kind,  but  they 
lack  the  spirit  of  charity.  They  pity  the  sufferers, 
but  do  nothing  to  relieve  them.  In  this  respect  the 
want  of  a spirit  of  association  is  sadly  felt'.  They 
have  no  idea  of  acting  together,  not  even  for  a benev- 
olent  purpose. 

Considering  the  low  state  of  the  liberal  professions, 
and  the  want  of  commercial  and  industrial  enterprise, 
it  is  not*to  be  wondered  at  that  the  young  men  of  the 
better  families  of  Quito  do  not  know  what  to  do,  but 
pass  their  time  in  idleness  and  frivolity.  The  great  ques- 
tions and  events  which  agitate  our  age  trouble  them  but 
little.  They  are  not  fond  of  reading  or  study.  They 
are  thoughtless,  and  without  much  moral  or  physical 
courage.  When  General  Mosquera,  after  having 
routed  the  Ecuadorian  army  at  Cuaspud,  was  ex- 
pected to  march  upon  Quito,  not  a dofcen  of  them 


EDUCATION. 


207 


stirred  to  defend  their  native  city.  In  their  opinion, 
the  defense  of  the  country  is  the  business  and  duty  of 
the  poor  man,  who  is  forcibly  impressed  into  the  army, 
and  sacrificed  to  the  ambition  of  his  rulers,  although 
he  has  no  interest  whatever  in  the  questions  for  which 
they  go  to  war.  When  these  poor  recruits  are  brought 
to  Quito,  they  are  received  in  silence.  Not  a handker- 
chief waves  ; not  a friendly  voice  is  raised  to  wel- 
come them.  When  the  war  is  over  they  are  dismissed 
without  the  money  to  return  to  their  villages.  Thus, 
frequently,  hordes  of  beggars  are  let  loose  upon  the 
country  ; and  yet  there  is,  as  • I said  already,  but  very 
little  crime.  This,  however,  must  not  be  attributed  to 
education.  There  are  no  common  or  free  schools  in 
the  capital.  Colleges  and  universities  are  liberally  en- 
dowed ; but  very  little  attention  has  been  bestowed 
upon  elementary  education.  In  1861,  French  friars 
were  imported  to  teach  boys  the  rudiments  of  knowl- 
edge ; but  the  education  of  poor  girls  is  still  left  to 
private  charity.  The  number  of  those  who  cannot 
read  or.  write  must  be  enormous.  Parents  are  not  re- 
quired to  send  their  children  to  school ; on  the  con- 
trary, illegitimate  children  were  excluded,  by  an  order 
of  President  Garcia  Moreno,  from  the  schools  of  the 
French  friars.  Besides,  the  system  of  education  which 
now  prevails  is  very  bad.  In  the  elementary  schools 
nothing  is  taught  but  reading,  writing,  religion,  and  a 
little  arithmetic.  In  the  higher  schools,  Latin,  and 
perhaps  Greek,  monopolize  the  time  of  the  student. 
Geography  is  taught  without  maps  ; the  natural  and 
mathematical  sciences  are  neglected,  and  every  defer- 
ence is  paid  to  religious  intolerance.  As  a proof  of 
this,  I shall  refer  to  but  one  instance*  For  many 
years,  Vattel’s  “ Law  of  Nations  ” was  a text-book  at 


i 


208  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


the  University.  Several  years  ago,  however,  the 
Archbishop  remonstrated  against  the  use  of  it  as  he- 
retical, because  it  advocates  religious  toleration.  It 
was  immediately  prohibited,  and  Bello’s  meagre  essay 
substituted  in  its  place. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

The  Political  Condition  of  the  South-American  Republics.  — A Tale  of 
Horror  and  Misery. 

About  one  month  before  his  death,  General  Bolivar, 
the  so-called  “ Liberator  ” of  South  America,  wrote  a 
letter  to  the  late  General  Flores,  of  Ecuador,  in  which 
the  following  remarkable  passages  occur,  which  have 
never  before  been  published  in  the  English  language  : — 

“ I have  been  in  power  ( yo  he  mandado ) for  nearly  twenty 
years,  from  which  I have  gathered  only  a few  definite 
results : — 

“ 1.  America,  for  us,  is  ungovernable. 

“ 2.  He  who  dedicates  his  services  to  a revolution,  plows 
the  sea. 

“ 3.  The  only  thing  that  can  be  done  in  America,  is  to 
emigrate. 

“ 4.  This  country  will  inevitably  fall  into  the  hands  of  the 
unbridled  rabble,  and  little  by  little  become  a prey  to  petty 
tyrants  of  all  colors  and  races. 

“ 5.  Devoured  as  we  shall  be  by  all  possible  crimes,  and 
ruined  by  our  ferociousness,  the  Europeans  will  not  deem  it 
worth  while  to  conquer  us. 

“ 6.  If  it  were  possible  for  any  part  of  the  world  to  re- 
turn to  a state  of  primitive  chaos,  that  would  be  the  last 
stage  of  Spanish  America.” 

Thus,  almost  with  his  dying  breath,  wrote  Simon 
Bolivar,  the  man  to  whom  admiring  congresses  had 
voted  the  title  of  “ Liberator,”  and  whom  his  friends 
and  partisans,  very  improperly  in  my  opinion,  have 

14 


210  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


called  the  “Washington  of  South  America.”  Thus 
he  wrote  on  the  9th  of  November,  1830.  He  died  on 
the  10th  of  December  of  the  same  year.  His  constant 
and  well-grounded  fears  of  conspiracies  against  his  life, 
had  greatly  accelerated  his  end. 

We  shall  see  now,  whether  time  and  experience  have 
verified  his  predictions.  Our  Spanish-American  neigh- 
bors have  had  a trial  of  forty  years  of  republican  insti- 
tutions, and,  I am  sorry  to  say,  the  result  is  all  but 
encouraohio*.  From  the  very  hemmiing  of  their  na- 
tional  existence,  they  have  been  in  a state  of  chronic 
anarchy  and  interminable  convulsion.  Their  little  re- 
publics have  either  been  at  war  with  each  other,  or  a 
prey  to  internecine  strife,  or  both  at  the  same  time. 
With  them  a state  of  war  is  the  rule,  and  peace  the 
exception.  Their  administrations  are  not  changed  by 
elections,  but  by  revolutions.  Plots  and  conspiracies 
take  the  place  of  political  campaigns.  An  election  is 
a farce,  as  it  is  almost  always  controlled  and  carried  by 
-the  government.  The  opposition  has  generally  but 
one  chance,  that  of  insurrection,  revolution,  and  war. 

Chili  is  the  most  piosperous  and  respectable  of  the 
South  American  republics.  She  has  built  roads  over 
the  Andes,  not  only  wagon-roads,  but  also  a railroad. 
She  has  had  less  revolutionary  troubles  than  her  neigh- 
bors. Her  white  population  is  not  so  prejudiced 
against  labor  as  Spanish- Americans  in  general.  The 
Chilians  are  more  enterprising  than  their  neighbors. 
Chilian  commerce  is  flourishing.  It  is  true,  that  an  im- 
portant share  of  their  prosperity  is  owing  to  the  large 
number  of  foreigners  who  have  settled  in  Chili ; never- 
theless, the  superiority  of  the  native  Chilians  over  their 
Spanish  brethren  must  not  be  underrated. 

Bolivia  is  probably  the  most  wretched  of  the  South 


BOLIVAR'S  CONSTITUTION. 


211 


Pacific  republics.  It  lias  but  one  sea-port,  the  town 
of  Cobijas ; but  there  is  no  communication  whatever 
between  that  port  and  the  interior.  Hence,  all  the 
imports  and  exports  of  the  republic  have  to  pass  through 
Peru,  on  the  good-will  of  which  the  commerce  of  Bo- 
livia depends.  Bolivia  owes  its  independence  to  the 
military  skill  and  valor  of  General  Sucre,  one  of  the 
most  meritorious  generals  of  the  revolutionary  war. 
It  owes  its  name  to  General  Bolivar,  the  Liberator,  who 
made  a constitution  for  it,  which  the  Bolivians,  with 
more  courtesy  than  discretion,  accepted.  It  was  so 
visionary  and  impracticable  an  instrument,  that  it  had 
to  be  discarded  in  less  than  a year.  It  was  a compound 
of  all  possible  political  institutions,  ancient  and  modern. 
Bolivar  very  modestly  said  of  it,  that  it  combined  the 
political  wisdom  of  all  ages  and  nations.  It  provided 
for  the  election  by  the  legislature  of  a president,  who 
was  to  hold  his  office  for  life,  with  power  to  appoint 
his  successor,  the  vice-president.  It  provided  for  a 
legislature  of  three  houses,  — tribunes,  senators,  and 
censors.  It  teemed  with  visionary  crotchets,  and  con- 
tained but  one  sound  principle  — that  of  religious  tol- 
eration — which  was  subsequently  abandoned.  That 
constitution  was  probably  the  greatest  weakness  of 
Bolivar’s  life.  He  clung  to  it  with  incredible  tenacity, 
after  its  impracticability  had  been  fully  exposed.  He 
would  not  be  convinced  that  it  was  unsuitable  to  the 
spirit  of  his  or  any  other  age  and  people.  A practical 
trial  had  led  to  its  rejection  in  Bolivia ; nevertheless, 
the  “ Liberator  ” untiringly  strove  to  effect  its  adoption 
in  Colombia,  the  domestic  tranquillity  of  which  he  sac- 
rificed by  encouraging  pronuncicimentos  in  favor  of  the 
Bolivian  Constitution,  with  General  Bolivar  as  presi- 
dent for  life.  A belief  that  he  plotted  to  make  himself 


212  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


dictator  and  destroy  tlie  liberties  of  the  country,  rapidly 
spread,  and  led  to  a conspiracy,  and  an  attempt  to 
assassinate  him,  the  terrors  of  which  haunted  him  ever 
afterwards.  Bolivia  fared  as  badly  under  a constitu- 
tion of  her  own  as  under  that  with  which  General 
Bolivar  had  presented  her.  For  the  frequency  of  her 
revolutions  and  civil  wars,  for  the  violence  and  vindic- 
tiveness of  her  party  leaders,  and  the  sanguinary  spirit 
of  their  followers,  she  is  almost  without  a rival  among 
her  sister  states. 

Peru  is  the  wealthiest  of  the  republics  on  the  Pa- 
cific coast,  being  the  owner  of  the  celebrated  Chincha, 
or  Guano  Islands,  and  by  economical  and  prudent  man- 
agement might  have  subsisted  almost  without  taxation. 
But  her  resources  were  most  recklessly  squandered  by 
her  rulers.  Money  is  thrown  away  most  wantonly  and 
extravagantly.  To  satisfy  the  claims  of  hungry  aspir- 
ants who  would  conspire  against  the  government  if 
not  pensioned  off,  useless  offices  must  be  created  con- 
tinually. During  my  residence  in  the  South,  the  Pe- 
ruvian Government  sent  ministers  to  every  possible 
foreign  country,  with  which  Peru  had  no  relations 
whatever,  merely  for  the  purpose  of  providing  for 
political  camp-followers.  Even  a mission  to  China  was 
created,  with  a large  outfit  and  liberal  salaries  for  the 
minister,  his  secretaries,  and  attaches.  With  all  its 
guano  wealth,  Peru  has  not  yet  built  a road  to  the 
highlands  of  the  interior,  and  the  capital  of  the  an- 
cient Incas.  The  populace  of  Lima  generally  dictates 
the  foreign  and  domestic  policy  of  the  administration. 
Revolutions  and  civil  wars  are  very  seldom  terminated 
by  fighting,  but  by  bribery,  treachery,  and  intrigue. 
The  ladies  of  Lima  are  famous  for  their  zeal  and  skill 
in  plotting  the  overthrow  of  governments.  I may  be 


NEW  GRANADA. 


213 


warranted  in  saying  tliat  the  very  wealth  of  Peru  has 
proved  a great  source  of  its  political  misery. 

New  Granada  (now  the  United  States  of  Colombia) 
has  just  emerged  from  a bloody  and  most  cruel  civil 
war  of  about  five  years’  duration,  and  bids  fair  to 
plunge  into  another.  It  took  over  four  years  of  blood- 
shed to  establish  religious  freedom  there,  a principle 
which  no  other  Spanish- American  republic  has  estab- 
lished. Protestantism  is  freely  tolerated  in  Buenos 
Ayres,  but  freedom  of  conscience  is  not  a constitutional 
right.  Not  even  Chili  lias  done  away  with  the  insti- 
tution of  a State  Church ; and  the  toleration  it  accords 
to  foreigners  and  dissenters  is  measured  most  scantily. 
In  1865  a concession  was  made  in  this  respect  to  the 
spirit  of  the  age,  by  the  Congress  of  Chili,  after  long 
and  excited  debates,  but  it  was  done  after  a most  de- 
termined opposition,  and  in  a most  chary  and  unsatis- 
factory manner.  The  Constitution  of  the  United  States 
of  Colombia  is  a great  failure.  It  attempts  to  base  a 
union  and  national  government  on  the  fundamental 
principle  of  secession.  It  dooms  the  country  to  con- 
fusion, weakness,  and  impotence.  It  recognizes  the 
right  of  each  individual  state  to  secede  from  the  Unit- 
ed States  whenever  it  pleases.  It  creates  a federal 
executive,  but  leaves  the  execution  of  the  federal  de- 
crees and  enactments  to  the  executives  of  the  different 
states.  If  these  should  refuse  to  execute  them,  the 
whole  machinery  would  be  brought  to  a dead-lock. 
The  most  notable  feature  of  its  Congress  is  a house 
of  plenipotentiaries,  appointed  by  the  different  states. 
The  latter  have  no  governors,  but  presidents,  with 
cabinets  and  cabinet-ministers,  and  all  the  pomp  and 
circumstance  of  sovereignty.  The  federal  executive 
is  elected  for  only  two  vears.  Such  a government 

*/  «/  O 


214  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


will  not  stand  the  test  of  time.  It  affords  no  security, 
and  creates  no  confidence.  The  first  strong  blast  will 
bring;  it  down. 

Venezuela,  the  birthplace  of  Simon  Bolivar,  has  en- 
joyed hardly  a moment  of  repose  since  the  beginning 
of  the  war  of  independence.  History  visits  the  sins 
of  the  fathers  on  their  children  and  children’s  children  ; 
and  the  execution,  by  command  of  Bolivar,  of  several 
hundred  Spanish  non-combatants  at  Caraccas,  in  1814, 
including  many  inoffensive  old  men  who  bad  never 
sided  with  either  party,  seems  to  have  borne  its  bitter 
fruits.  V enezuela  formed  a part  of  the  old  Republic 
of  Colombia,  which  could  not  hold  together  because  it 
contained  too  many  generals  who  were  anxious  to 
preside  over  governments  of  their  own.  Thus  Paez 
detached  Venezuela,  and  Flores,  Ecuador.  Many  at- 
tempts have  since  been  made  to  unite  the  three  re- 
publics, but  failed. 

But  it  is  unnecessary  to  continue  this  general  review. 
The  array  of  specific  facts  which  I shall  lay  before  my 
readers,  is  chiefly  taken  from  my  Ecuadorian  experi- 
ence, but  will,  mutatis  mutandis , apply  to  almost  any 
other  Spanish-American  republic.  Change  the  names 
and  the  cast,  and  the  tragedy  remains  the  same.  Those 
countries,  I am  sorry  to  say,  are  republics  in  name, 
but  despotisms  in  fact.  Their  constitutions  are  gen- 
erally liberal,  but  laws  and  constitutions  are  made  to 
be  disregarded.  They  all  establish  the  system  of  three 
coordinate  powers  of  government,  but,  in  point  of  fact, 
there  is  but  one  power  — the  will  of  the  man  who,  for 
the  time  being,  has  secured  the  obedience  of  the  sol- 
diery.1 

1 The  last  Constitution  of  Ecuador  was  adopted  in  1861.  With  the  ex- 
ception of  the  article  establishing  the  Catholic  religion  as  the  state  church 


REVOLUTIONS. 


215 


For  this  reason,  a Spanish- American  revolution,  tc 
be  successful,  must  originate  with,  or  be  supported  by, 
the  soldiery.  The  conspirators  begin  with  bribing  a 
portion  of  the  garrison  of  an  important  post.  Military 
barracks  ( cuarteles ),  will  never  be  attacked  without  a 
previous  secret  understanding  with  some  of  the  officers 
and  men  who  are  in  charge  of  the  post.  In  the  nego- 
tiations for  such  purposes  the  ladies  take  a most  active 
part.  They  are  passionate  politicians,  and  very  ener- 
getic secret  agents.  They  carry  letters  and  despatches, 

and  excluding  every  other,  its  provisions  are  sufficiently  liberal.  The  leg- 
islative power  is  vested  in  a Congress,  consisting  of  a Senate  and  House  of 
Representatives.  Every  province  elects  two  senators,  and  one  representa- 
tive for  every  thirty  thousand  inhabitants,  or  every  fraction  over  fifteen 
thousand.  Senators  and  representatives  are  elected  for  two  years.  The 
sessions  are  biennial.  Every  two  years  the  term  of  one  half  of  the  mem- 
bers expires.  The  President  is  elected  for  four  years,  and  has  a veto.  He 
cannot  exercise  his  functions  at  a distance  of  more  than  eight  leagues  from 
the  capital.  He  is  not  allowed  to  deprive  an  Ecuadorian  of  his  liberty,  or 
banish  him  the  country.  He  must  not  interfere  with  the  course  of  justice 
or  the  liberty  of  the  press.  The  elections  are  direct  and  by  secret  ballot. 
Every  Ecuadorian,  without  distinction  of  color,  who  can  read  and  write,  has 
a vote,  and  may  be  elected  to  office.  The  cabinet  consists  of  three  mem- 
bers— one  for  the  Interior  and  Foreign  Relations,  the  other  for  Financial 
affairs,  and  the  third,  a Minister  of  War  and  the  Navy.  In  certain  cases, 
the  concurrence  of  a council  of  state  is  necessary  to  authorize  executive 
acts.  This  body  consists  of  the  vice-president,  the  cabinet,  one  member  of 
the  supreme  court,  one  representative  of  the  clergy,  and  one  representative 
of  the  landed  interest.  The  last  three  are  elected  by  Congress  for  four 
years.  The  president  cannot  be  reelected.  The  judges  of  the  supreme 
and  superior  courts  are  elected  by  Congress.  Slavery  is  abolished.  Every 
Ecuadorian  is  allowed  to  emigrate  with  his  property  whenever  he  chooses, 
and  to  return  to  the  country  whenever  he  desires.  Arbitrary  arrests  are 
prohibited.  Persons  can  only  be  arrested  according  to  law,  and  must  be 
notified  by  the  proper  tribunal  within  twenty-four  hours  after  their  arrest, 
of  the  nature  of  the  accusation  against  them.  They  can  be  tried  only  bv 
a court  of  competent  jurisdiction,  and  cannot  be  compelled  to  testify  against 
their  accomplices  or  near  relations.  In  case  public  necessity  shall  make  it 
indispensable  to  take  private  property,  the  value  thereof  must  first  be  paid 
to  the  owner.  Taxes  and  contributions  can  only  be  imposed  according  to 
law.  The  liberty  of  the  press  is  guaranteed.  Soldiers  cannot  be  quar- 
tered upon  private  citizens  without  indemnity  to  the  latter.  All  foreigners 
are  permitte  1 to  come  to  the  country,  engage  in  business,  etc. 


216  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


excite  discontent,  conceal  political  refugees  and  facili- 
tate their  escape,  and  keep  their  banished  friends  posted 
as  to  the  state  of  affairs  at  home.  During  my  residence 
in  Ecuador,  several  of  these  female  agitators  were  ban- 
ished the  country  by  President  Garcia  Moreno.  They 
went,  hurling  defiance  into  his  teeth.  He  could  im- 
prison or  shoot  the  men,  who  trembled  before  him,  but 
he  could  not  break  the  spirit  of  the  women. 

The  moment  a revolutionary  party  has  secured  a 
foothold  somewhere,  they  resort  to  the  customary  mode 
of  Spanish-American  warfare.  Its  principal  features 
are,  forcible  impressments,  and  forced  loans  and  contri- 
butions, in  addition  to  which  they  seize  all  the  horses, 
mules,  cattle,  provisions,  Indians,  and  other  property 
they  can  lay  hands  on.  The  government  does  the 
same.  There  is  no  legal  or  equitable  system  of  con- 
scription or  draft.  By  common  consent,  “ gentlemen  ” 
(that  is  to  say,  white  men  of  good  families)  are  exempt 
from  it ; but  the  poor,  the  half  or  cross-breeds,  the 
journeymen,  mechanics,  and  farm-laborers,  are  seized 
and  impressed  wherever  found,  and  without  reference 
to  age,  condition,  disability,  or  the  time  they  may  have 
served  already.  The  appearance  of  the  recruiting  offi- 
cers on  the  street  always  creates  a panic  among  those 
liable  to  be  “ recruited. ” It  is  a pitiful  spectacle  to 
see  those  poor  fellows  run  away  in  all  directions,  wildly 
chased  by  the  officers  and  their  men.  Compulsory 
service  in  the  army  is  a calamity  greatly  dreaded  by  the 
populace,  and  from  which  they  try  to  escape  in  a thou- 
sand different  ways.  They  will  flee  to  the  mountains, 
and  hide  themselves  in  forests  or  deserts  ( despoblados ) ; 
they  will  take  refuge  in  churches  or  convents,  or  in 
the  houses  of  foreign  representatives  or  residents,  and 
thev  will  not  show  themselves  on  the  streets  or  public 


MILITARY  IMPRESSMENTS. 


217 


highways  until  the  danger  is  over.  When  they  are 
near  enough  to  the  frontier,  they  will  leave  the  country 
in  order  to  avoid  impressment.  In  Peru  alone  there 
are  over  ten  thousand  Ecuadorians  who  left  their  own 
country  to  avoid  impressment.  Ecuadorian  soldiers 
are  but  poorly  clad  and  poorly  paid.  Many  of  them 
have  to  go  barefoot.  When  their  services  are  no 
longer  required,  they  are  discharged  without  the  means 
to  return  to  their  homes.  Under  these  circumstances, 
it  cannot  appear  strange  that  such  soldiers  should  re- 
venge themselves  on  society  whenever  an  opportunity 
offers.  When  marching  from  one  place  to  another, 
they  will  take  from  the  poor  people  living  along  the 
public  highways  whatever  they  can  find.  Hence,  when 
it  becomes  known  that  a regiment  or  company  of  sol- 
diers will  march  through  a certain  district,  the  people 
living  along  the  road,  even  in  times  of  profound  peace, 
will  hide  their  valuables,  drive  away  their  horses,  mules, 
cattle,  or  sheep,  take  their  provisions,  chickens,  etc.,  to 
some  out-of-the-way  place  in  the  mountains  or  forests, 
and  make  preparations  as  if  they  expected  the  arrival 
of  a savage  enemy.  The  houses  along  the  road  will 
be  deserted ; the  men  will  carefully  keep  out  of  the 
way  of  the  marching  columns  ; and  only  now  and  then 
an  old  woman  will  be  found  to  tell  the  soldiers  how 
poor  she  is.  Many  a time  when,  during  my  travels  in 
the  Cordillera,  I stopped  at  a hut  to  buy  eggs  or  other 
])ro  visions,  the  people  told  me  with  a sigh  : “We  have 
nothing  to  sell,  sir  ; the  soldiers  were  here  and  took 
all  we  had.” 

I have  said  that  u gentlemen  ” are  exempt  from 
military  impressment.  As  a general  rule,  laws  and 
customs  are  only  enforced  against  the  common  people. 
Our  neighbors  have  established  a republican  form  of 


218  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


government  without  being  republicans.  They  still 
cling  to  their  aristocratic  traditions,  and  virtually  main- 
tain distinctions  of  class  and  caste.  The  descendants 
of  the  old  noble  families  still  cherish  their  ancient  titles 
of  nobility.  They  look  with  great  veneration  on  the 
pomp  and  splendor  of  European  monarchies,  and  dis- 
tinguish those  of  their  own  number  who  can  boast  of 
a count  or  a knight  among  their  ancestors.  Labor  is 
disreputable  in  their  eyes,  and  even  on  commerce  they 
look  down  as  not  altogether  respectable.  Commerce, 
irlider  the  old  Spanish  law,  was  considered  incompatible 
with  nobility.  The  cream  of  the  aristocracy  consists 
of  those  who  live  on  what  their  landed  property  pro- 
duces, and  therefore  can  afford  to  do  nothing  at  all. 
The  caballero  would  rather  starve  than  perform  man- 
ual labor,  which,  in  his  opinion,  would  be  degrading, 
and  which  becomes  only  an  Indian  or  Cholo.  No 
white  man  will  condescend  to  menial  offices.  White 
servants  or  laborers  cannot  be  found  in  the  interior  of 
Ecuador,  unless  they  be  foreigners.  Poor  as  the  white 
native  may  be,  he  will  generally  manage  to  maintain 
himself  without  working.  How  a great  many  succeed 
in  this,  is  a mystery  to  the  uninitiated  observer ; but  I 
believe  that  gambling  and  borrowing  are  freely  resorted 
to.  President  Garcia  Moreno  once  told  me  of  a young 
man  of  genteel  family  who  had  asked  him  for  an  office, 
representing  that  he  had  a wife  and  six  children,  with- 
out any  means  to  support  them.  The  president  told 
him  that,  for  the  present,  he  could  not  give  him  a better 
place  than  that  of  overseer  on  thernew  road  from  Quito 
to  the  coast,  which  was  then  in  process  of  construction. 
The  young  man  accepted  the  position.  He  remained 
at  his  post  for  two  days,  but  on  the  third  he  told  the 
president  to  appohit  somebody  else,  as  such  employ- 


PREJUDICE  AGAINST  LABOR. 


219 


ment  was  unworthy  of  his  family  and  standing  in 
society. 

Another  incident  will  illustrate  the  prejudice  which 
our  Spanish  neighbors  entertain  against  labor.  A 
Scotchman,  a very  intelligent  and  well-educated  man, 
and  an  excellent  machinist,  had  been  brought  to  Ecua- 
dor  by  a Mr.  Carlos  Aguirre,  a wealthy  land-owner, 
to  fit  up  and  carry  on  a factory  of  woolen  goods,  at  the 
village  of  Chillo,  about  ten  miles  from  Quito.  The 
Scotchman,  of  course,  went  to  work  practically,  and 
finding  no  one  to  rely  on,  did  as  much  of  the  work 
himself  as  was  necessary.  This  greatly  astonished  the 
natives  who  visited  Chillo  in  order  to  see  the  new  ma- 
chinery, and  many  of  them  returned  to  Quito  in  a 
state  of  amazement  at  having  seen  a “ white  man  who 
worked  like  an  Indian .”  But  still  more  astonished 
were  the  poor  Indians  themselves,  who  told  him,  quite 
naively,  that  “ there  could  certainly  be  no  Indians  in  the 
country  he  came  from  ! ” 

The  first  measures  of  a party  which  succeeds  in  a 
revolution  or  civil  war,  are  generally  acts  of  retaliation 
or  revenge  on  the  vanquished,  who  may  congratulate 
themselves  if  only  forced  contributions  are  resorted  to. 
The  wealthy  members  of  the  losing  party  are  notified 
by  the  new  “ government,”  that  within  a certain  num- 
ber of  days  or  hours  they  must  pay  a certain  sum  of 
money.  If  they  refuse,  the  amount  is  sometimes  raised, 
and  even  doubled,  and  the  victims  are  imprisoned, 
either  in  their  own  houses,  or  in  the  military  barracks, 
until  they  u pay  up.”  If  they  are  storekeepers,  their 
goods  are  seized  as  security.  If  they  are  hacienda- 
owners,  their  cattle  or  horses  are  taken  in  lieu  of 
money.  If  they  are  women,  they  are  placed  under  a 
military  guard,  and  not  allowed  to  leave  their  rooms, 


220  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


or  to  consult  with  their  friends,  until  they  comply  with 
the  arbitrary  edict  of  the  despot  of  the  day.  I shall 
relate  but  one  instance  of  the  many  that  came  to  my 
knowledge.  In  1860  a contribution  of  several  hun- 
dred dollars  (I  do  not  recollect  the  exact  amount)  was 
imposed  upon  a gentleman  who  had  held  office  under 
the  government  that  had  just  been  overthrown.  He 
being  absent  from  Quito  on  his  hacienda  in  Esmeraldas, 
on  the  coast,  a detachment  of  soldiers  was  sent  to  his 
house  with  a command  to  his  wife  to  pay  the  money. 
The  lady  protested  that  her  husband  had  left  her  no 
money,  and  that  she  was  unable  to  pay  the  required 
amount.  Her  answer  was  deemed  unsatisfactory,  and 
her  house  was  surrounded  by  soldiers,  who  did  not 
allow  any  body  to  enter  or  to  leave  it.  She  was  not 
permitted  to  send  for  victuals  or  for  water,  nor  was  she 
allowed  to  employ  counsel  or  to  see  her  friends.  For 
three  days  and  nights  she  was  kept  a prisoner,  until, 
coerced  by  starvation,  she  yielded  at  last,  and  paid  the 
amount  which  had  been  assessed  without  warrant  of 
law  by  the  caprice  of  the  victorious  party. 

A political  adversary  is  considered  an  outlaw,  who 
may  with  impunity  be  treated  in  the  most  arbitrary 
and  cruel  manner  by  those  in  power.  His  haciendas 
are  laid  waste  by  soldiers  quartered  on  them  ; his  cat- 
tle and  horses  are  at  the  mercy  of  a reckless  govern- 
ment. The  greatest  sufferers,  however,  are  the  owners 
of  beasts  of  burden,  whether  they  take  part  in  political 
affairs  or  not.  Their  horses  and  mules  are  taken  when- 
ever they  are  needed  for  the  transportation  of  military 
stores.  They  are  used  generally  without  compensa- 
tion to  the  owner,  who  may  congratulate  himself  if 
they  are  at  last  restored  to  him.  Their  galled  backs 
and  emaciated  bodies  are  the  pay  he  gets,  all  constitu- 


RIGHTS  AND  PRIVILEGES  OF  FOREIGNERS.  221 


tional  and  legal  provisions  to  the  contrary  notwith- 
standing. Those  who  own  mules  or  donkeys  which 
they  hire  out  to  travellers,  or  on  which  they  bring  their 
vegetables  to  market,  keep  away  from  cities  in  times 
of  war  or  civil  commotion,  for  fear  of  being  robbed  of 
their  means  of  subsistence.  Their  beasts  they  send  to 
the  fastnesses  of  the  mountains  until  the  danger  is  over. 
Thus  the  city  markets  will  be  but  scantily  supplied, 
merchants  cannot  ship  their  goods,  travellers  find  no 
means  of  transportation,  and  the  whole  country  suffers 
and  decays  because  governments  will  not  respect  indi- 
vidual rights  and  private  property. 

When  the  country  is  threatened  with  war,  foreign 
invasion,  or  revolution,  or  when  a violent  change  of 
government  has  taken  place,  the  houses  of  foreign  min- 
isters, consuls,  and  other  foreigners,  are  eagerly  re- 
sorted to  by  all  classes  of  the  population.  Not  only 
will  ladies  and  gentlemen  take  refuge  there,  but  such 
houses  will  be  depositories  for  all  sorts  of  valuables,  — 
goods,  trunks,  and  boxes,  belonging  to  merchants,  me- 
chanics, private  citizens,  and  even  the  government. 
During  the  war  with  New  Granada,  in  1862,  when  it 
was  feared  that  General  Arboleda,  after  his  victory  at 
Tulcan,  would  march  to  Quito  and  occupy  the  town, 
the  government  made  arrangements  to  deposit  the  sil- 
ver bars  belonging  to  the  mint  in  the  house  of  one  of 
the  foreign  ministers,.  The  houses  of  foreigners  are 
respected,  not  only  because  the  governments  to  which 
they  belong  are  expected  to  shield  them  with  a strong 
arm,  but  also  because  even  the  victorious  or  ruling 
party  are  interested  in  maintaining  the  sacredness 
of  asylums  to  which,  perhaps  to-morrow,  it  may  be 
their  turn  to  resort  as  the  vanquished.  In  Ecuador, 
foreigners  alone  enjoy  the  rights  and  privileges  which 


222  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


the  constitution,  on  paper,  guarantees  to  the  citizen. 
The  persons  of  foreigners  are  secure  ; their  servants 
are  not  taken  away  from  them  ; their  beasts  are  never 
interfered  with  ; their  property  is  respected ; and  if 
they  have  a diplomatic  representative  in  the  country, 
they  are  favored  in  a thousand  different  ways.  They 
are  the  only  class  of  persons  who  can  carry  on  business 
in  safety.  Of  course,  they  will  suffer  from  bad  times, 
when  the  country  is  desolated  by  revolutions  or  civil 
war,  but  they  have  little  to  fear  from  the  government 
and  party  leaders  ; and  while  forced  contributions  of 
money  or  goods  will  be  exacted  from  the  native  capi- 
talists ; while  their  servants  and  laborers,  horses  and 
cattle,  will  be  taken  away  from  them ; the  person, 
property,  laborers,  and  servants  of  a foreigner  will  be 
secure.  No  wonder,  therefore,  that  every  extensive 
land-owner,  every  wealthy  merchant  in  the  country, 
wants  to  make  himself  a foreigner.  I was  almost  con- 
tinually troubled  by  persons  who  wanted  to  know  how 
to  make  themselves  North- American  citizens.  Every 
body,  almost,  who  has  any  thing  to  lose,  is  anxious  to 
abjure  his  nationality,  and  place  himself  under  the 
protection  of  a foreign  flag.  Many  went  to  the  United 
States  for  the  sole  purpose  of  taking  out  first  papers, 
which,  as  they  believed,  would  protect  them  against 
forced  contributions  and  other  losses.  Others  go  abroad 
to  make  themselves  foreign  subjects,  and  then  return 
to  carry  on  their  business  as  before.  I have  heard 
hundreds  who  protested  their  anxiet}^  to#  clothe  them- 
selves with  a foreign  nationality,  in  which  case  alone 
they  considered  their  property  secure.  Mr.  Buckalew, 
the  American  minister  under  Buchanan,  once  saved  a 
man  from  a loss  which,  according  to  the  Ecuadorian 
himself,  would  have  amounted  to  at  least  $10,000, 


INHUMANITY  TO  PRISONERS.. 


223 


simply  by  allowing  him  to  hoist  the  American  flag 
over  his  farm  buildings. 

Whenever,  even  in  times  of  profound  peace,  the 
government  desires  to  erect  a structure,  or  to  repair  a 
building,  a road,  or  a bridge,  orders  are  given  to  the 
police  to  seize  all  the  masons  and  carpenters  that  can 
be  found.  From  the  number  thus  arrested,  the  direc- 
tors will  select  the  ablest,  and  compel  them  to  work 
for  such  wages  as  it  may  be  convenient  to  pay  them. 
Political  adversaries,  who  are  suspected  of  revolution- 
ary intentions,  are  arrested  and  detained  in  prison  for 
months,  without  a charge  against  them,  and  without 
the  benefit  of  a trial  before  the  proper  tribunals.  Po- 
litical prisoners  are  generally  treated  in  a cruel  and 
barbarous  manner.  I know  of  many  who  were  kept 
in  heavy  irons  for  weeks  and  months,  during  which 
time  their  relatives  had  to  feed  them,  as  the  govern- 
ment was  not  in  the  habit  of  furnishing  meals  to  pris- 
oners of  state.  They  were  generally  banished  to  the 
unredeemed  wilderness  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  Cor- 
dillera, commonly  called  the  “ Napo  Country,”  from 
the  Napo  River,  — one  of  the  affluents  of  the  Amazon, 
— or  to  Brazil,  by  way  of  the  Napo.  To  understand 
fully  the  inhuman  nature  of  this  punishment,  it  must 
be  borne  in  mind  that  the  road  to  the  Napo,  beginning 
at  the  village  of  Papallacta,  — about  two  days’  journey 
from  Quito, — is  a mere  foot-path,  inaccessible  to  horses 
or  mules.  The  prisoners,  with  their  limbs  sore  from 
the  irons  in  which  they  had  been  kept,  had  to  walk 
over  rocks,  and  scramble  through  bogs  and  woods  ; 
now  descending  the  cold  and  snowy  summits  of  the 
Cordillera,  then  wading  through  deep  and  rapid  streams ; 
now  exposed  to  the  almost  incessant  and  drenching 
rains  of  those  regions,  then  again  to  the  burning  sun 


224  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


of  the  equator ; with  no  provisions  but  those  they  car- 
ried with  them,  with  no  bed  but  the  wet  earth,  and 
no  cover  but  the  sky,  until  they  reached  their  inhos- 
pitable destination,  where  only  the  painted  Indian’s 
humble  hut  afforded  them  shelter,  without  protection 
from  wild  beasts,  poisonous  snakes,  and  tropical  fevers. 
If  such  cruelties  were  committed  in  Turkey  or  Russia, 
they  would  not  astonish  us,  but  in  countries  styling 
themselves  “ republics,”  they  must  provoke  our  indig- 
nation and  abhorrence. 

Another  shocking  practice  was  the  flogging  of  men 
by  order  of  the  president,  and  without  process  or  war- 
rant of  law,  the  number  of  lashes  varying  from  twenty- 
five  to  six  hundred.  In  1860,  an  old  general,  a mu- 
3/Eto,  who  is  said  to  have  creditably  served  in  the  wars 
of  independence,  was  seized  by  order  of  Mr.  Garcia 
Moreno,  — then  chief  of  the  so-called  provisional 
government,  — and  received  five  hundred  lashes,  in 
presence  of  the  garrison,  and  probably  at  the  hands  of 
the  very  soldiers  who  had  been  under  his  command. 
He  died  a short  time  after  this  punishment.  He  had 
not  been  convicted  by  a court  of  competent  jurisdic- 
tion, civil  or  military.  No  charges  had  been  preferred 
against  him.  He  was  not  allowed  to  make  a defense, 
but  the  punishment  was  inflicted  at  the  command  of 
one  man,  who  had  no  constitutional  or  legal  right  to 
judge  or  punish  him. 

An  unguarded  expression  sufficed  to  condemn  the 
suspected.  In  1861  a certain  Viteri  had  a christening 
at  his  house.  Among  the  guests  was  a military  officer 
of  the  president’s  party.  Viteri,  heated  by  wine  and 
the  merriment  of  the  occasion,  pointed  to  the  officer’s 
epaulettes,  and  told  him  that  they  would  soon^be  torn 
from  his  shoulders.  On  the  following  day  he  was  ar- 


INTERFERENCE  WITH  JUSTICE. 


225 


rested,  kept  in  prison  for  some  time,  and  at  last  banished 
to  the  Napo  wilderness,  in  direct  violation  of  the  con- 
stitution, which  expressly  prohibits  such  banishments. 

The  president  loved  to  deal  his  blows  in  all  direc- 
tions. His  lashes  not  only  tamed  his  political  oppo- 
nents, but  also  interfered  with  the  course  of  justice. 
In  1861,  a fellow  who  had  been  arrested  and  indicted 
, for  manslaughter,  escaped  from  custody  before  the  day 
fixed  for  his  trial.  He  was  recaptured,  and  the  pres- 
ident ordered  four  hundred  lashes  to  be  given  him,  and 
then  handed  him  over  to  the  civil  tribunals.  At  the 
trial,  this  circumstance  was  commented  upon  bv  his 
attorney,  who  urged  that  a man  ought  not  to  be  pun- 
ished twice  for  the  same  offense  ; that  the  man  had 
already  been  whipped  to  the  very  point  of  death,  and 
ought  not  to  suffer  more.  In  this  connection  the  law- 
yer  was  imprudent  enough  to  hint  that  it  was  improper 
for  the  executive  to  interfere  with  the  administration 
of  justice.  He  had  hardly  left  the  court-room  when 
he  was  arrested  and  banished’ to  New  Granada. 

In  1863,  a French  druggist  had  furnished  drugs  to 
the  garrison  at  Guayaquil,  for  which  the  government 
refused  to  pay.  The  case  came  before  the  Supreme 
Court,  by  which  judgment  was  rendered  in  favor  of 
the  claimant.  The  president,  highly  indignant  at  this 
decision,  ordered  the  judgment  to  be  paid  out  of  the 
amount  due  the  judges  for  salaries. 

When  Mosquera,  President  of  the  United  States  of 
Colombia  (New  Granada),  had  defeated  the  Ecuado- 
rians under  General  Flores,  at  Cuaspud,  and  subse- 
quently taken  military  possession  of  the  province  of 
Imbabura,  several  individuals  attempted  a pronuncia- 
mento  in  favor  of  General  Mosquera.  They  were  ar- 
rested, and  on  the  restoration  of  peace,  handed  over 
15 


226  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-A  MERIC  AN  S. 


to  the  civil  tribunals.  The  judge  of  the  criminal  court 
found  them  guilty  of  treason,  from  which  decision  they 
appealed.  Suddenly  the  president  was  pleased  to  in- 
terfere, and  ordered  them  to  be  put  in  “ la  vara ,’ 
which  is  an  instrument  of  torture  similar  to  the  Eng- 
lish stocks,  with  the  difference  only  that  the  prisoner 
is  laid  on  his  back,  which  position  it  is  almost  impossi- 
ble for  him  to  chancre,  because  his  legs  are  fast  in  the 
stocks.  The  judge  who  had  convicted  them,  remon- 
strated against  this  torture,  as  unconstitutional  and  ille- 
gal ; stating,  at  the  same  time,  that  the  prison  in  which 
the  defendants  were  kept  was  perfectly  secure,  and 
that  there  was  no  danger  of  an  escape,  and  no  neces- 
sity for  such  cruelty.  The  president,  enraged  by  this 
remonstrance,  hinted  to  the  judge  that  he  would  ena- 
ble him  to  satisfy  himself  by  personal  experience  that 
the  “ vara  ” was  not  an  instrument  of  torture.  In 
other  words,  he  threatened  to  put  the  judge  in  the 
stocks.  The  judge  withdrew,  and  sent  in  his  resigna- 
tion, which  was  ijot  accepted.  The  men,  however, 
remained  in  the  stocks  until  it  pleased  the  president  to 
release  them. 

In  1864,  General  Maldonado  had  made  himself  con- 
spicuous as  the  leader  of  a conspiracy,  the  object  of 
which  was  to  rid  the  country  of  the  tyranny  of  Garcia 
Moreno.  The  plot  was  discovered,  and  many  of  the 
conspirators  were  sent  to  the  Napo  wilderness.  Gen- 
eral Maldonado  succeeded  in  making  his  escape  to  the 
mountains,  where,  after  an  exciting  pursuit  of  several 
weeks,  he  was  captured  on  his  way  to  Peru,  and  taken 
to  Guayaquil.  President  Garcia,  who  was  then  at 
Quito,  immediately  gave  orders  to  the  general  com- 
manding at  Guayaquil,  to  send  the  prisoner  to  the 
capital.  The  poor  fellow  knew  that  this  would  be  his 


TYRANNY  OF  GARCIA  MORENO. 


227 


last  journey,  and  begged  hard  to  be  allowed  to  leave 
the  country.  The  general  commanding  declared  his 
willingness  to  let  him  go  in  case  $30,000  should  be 
deposited  in  the  bank  of  Guayaquil  as  security  for  his 
future  good  behavior.  This  sum  the  friends  of  the 
prisoner  were  either  unwilling  or  unable  to  make  up. 
They  knew  very  well  that  the  amount,  if  deposited  by 
them,  would  immediately  be  seized  and  expended  by 
the  government.  Thus  Maldonado  was  sent  to  Quito. 
On  his  arrival  there,  he  was  at  once  taken  before  the 
president,  who  upbraided  him  for  his  conduct,  and  or- 
dered him  to  be  led  out  to  the  Plaza  in  front  of  the 
government  palace,  for  immediate  execution.  The 
whole  town  was  amazed,  and  many  a hasty  effort  was 
made  to  save  the  victim,  but  the  president  Avas  inex- 
orable. The  sympathies  of  the  people  were  with  Mal- 
donado ; even  the  soldiers  who  were  commanded  to 
shoot  him  could  hardly  repress  their  tears.  If  Maldo- 
nado had  snatched  the  sword  from  the  hands  of  the 
officer  who  commanded  the  troops  on  the  Plaza,  he 
might  have  made  a successful  revolution,  and  turned 
the  tables  on  his  enemy.  The  soldiers  would  have 
cheered  and  obeyed  him,  and  the  people  would  have 
welcomed  him  as  their  deliverer.  But  his  spirit  was 
broken.  His  wife  arrived,  and  a scene  took  place  on 
the  Plaza  which  those  avIio  witnessed  it  will  remember 
to  their  dying  day.  The  last  farewell  of  the  consorts 
was  heart-rending.  Mrs.  Maldonado  had  to  be  torn 
from  her  husband’s  embrace,  and  was  led  away  almost 
insensible.  She  could  hardly  have  walked  one  square, 
when  she  heard  the  discharge  of  the  muskets  which 
took  her  husband’s  life.  She  fell  on  the  pavement  with 
a frantic  shriek.  President  Garcia  was  at  his  office  in 
the  palace,  and  may  have  witnessed,  and  probably  did 


228  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH— AMERICANS. 


witness  the  execution,  which  took  place  under  his  very 
windows.  This  horrible  event  cast  a gloom  over  the 
whole  country.  It  was  but  the  forerunner  of  more 
appalling  deeds. 

In  1865  another  attempt  was  made  by  the  Urbina 
party  to  overthrow  Garcia  Moreno.  About  thirty  res- 
olute men  seized  the  river  steamer  Washington , dur- 
ing one  of  her  regular  trips  from  Bodegas  to  Guay- 
aquil, and  arriving  on  board  of  her  at  the  latter  place, 
brought  her  alongside  the  only  man-of-war  the  Ecuado- 
rian government  then  had,  aiid  which  was  lying  quietly 
at  anchor  in  the  middle  of  the  stream.  The  captain 
and  crew  of  the  man-of-war,  who  had  suspected  noth- 
ing of  the  kind,  allowed  themselves  to  be  taken  by 
surprise.  The  captain  was  killed,  his  men  were  over- 
powered, and  the  man-of-war,  after  having  her  cables 
slipped,  was  towed  down  the  river  by  the  other  steamer. 
The  whole  thing  was  done  so  noiselessly  and  quickly, 
that  both  vessels  were  out  of  sight  before  the  batteries 
on  shore  could  get  their  guns  in  readiness.  The  blow 
was  struck  so  suddenly  and  so  well,  that,  had  the  rev- 
olutionary party  followed  it  up  immediately  by  an  at- 
tack on  Guayaquil  with  what  few  men  they  had,  they 
might  have  succeeded  in  taking  the  place,  which  has 
always  been  considered  the  military  and  political  key 
to  the  whole  republic.  But  they  allowed  the  precious 
opportunity  to  slip  away.  They  wasted  almost  a month 
in  inactivity,  hovering  around  the  mouth  of  the  river 
with  a little  squadron  which  they  had  formed,  and 
waiting  for  reinforcements  and  aid  from  their  friends 
in  Peru.  In  the  mean  time  Garcia  Moreno,  whose 
tremendous  energy  and  undaunted  bravery  challenged 
the  admiration  even  of  his  enemies,  had  hastened  to 
Guayaquil,  put  it  in  a state  of  defense,  and  immediately 


MILITARY  EXECUTIONS. 


229 


prepared  for  taking  the  offensive.  By  dint  of  great 
exertions  he  raised  a large  sum  of  money,  with  which 
he  bought  a merchant  steamer  from  the  agents  of  the 
British  Pacific  Steam  Navigation  Company,  at  an  enor- 
mous price,  and  overcoming  numberless  obstacles,  fitted 
her  out  and  armed  her  in  a few  days.  In  this  steamer 
he  sailed  to  attack  the  enemy’s  squadron,  consisting  of 
two  ocean  steamers,  one  river  steamer,  and  two  sailing- 
vessels.  All  the  probabilities  were  against  him,  but 
he  succeeded  in  taking  his  careless  enemies  completely 
by  surprise.  One  of  their  big  vessels  had  not  even 
steam  up  when  Garcia  hove  in  sight.  He  attacked 
them  at  once,  ran  into  the  man-of-war  they  had  carried 
away,  and  sunk  her  after  an  engagement  of  about  half 
an  hour.  All  the  other  vessels  he  captured,  together 
with  a number  of  prisoners,  who  had  no  time  to  gain 
the  shore  and  to  effect  their  escape  to  Peru.  And  now 
the  executions  commenced.  Two  of  the  prisoners  he 
shot  immediately,  on  board  of  his  own  vessel.  Twelve 
or  fifteen  he  shot  in  the  afternoon  of  the  same  bloody 
day,  and  about  six  or  ten  on  the  next  day,  before  his 
return  to  Guayaquil.  Pie  was  in  such  a hurry  to  exe- 
cute, that  two  men  were  shot  whom  . the  successful 
party  had  not  even  taken  the  trouble  of  asking  for 
their  names.  These  victims,  it  must  be  remembered, 
were  not  killed  during  the  heat  of  the  combat,  but  they 
were  prisoners  whose  execution  was  ordered  after  the 
battle.  No  court-martial  had  sentenced  them  to  death. 
The  president  himself  interrogated  them,  and  selected 
his  victims  from  their  number.  A list  of  them  was 
afterwards  published  in  Guayaquil,  which  wound  up 
with  the  following  characteristic  statement : “ and  tivo 
more , whose  names  are  unknown /”  Still,  these  men 
had  been  taken  while  in  arms  against  a de  facto  gov- 


230  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


eminent ; and  though  many  of  them  may  have  been 
forcibly  impressed  by  the  chiefs  of  the  rebellion,  in  the 
districts  along  the  coast  which  their  squadron  com- 
manded, the  circumstances  under  which  they  were 
taken  may  have  served  as  an  excuse  for  their  execu- 
tion in  an  unsettled  and  anarchical  Spanish-American 
country.  But  the  deed  which  I am  now  going  to  re- 
late  is  inexcusable.  It  is  a cold-blooded  murder,  which 
stands  almost  unparalleled  in  the  history  of  civil  com- 
motions. 

JDr.  Viola,  a lawyer  at  Guayaquil,  a scholar  and  a 
gentleman,  was  known  to  sympathize  with  the  opposi- 
tion. It  was  known  that  he  disapproved  of  the  high- 
handed, illegal,  and  unconstitutional  measures  of  Pres- 
ident Garcia  Moreno.  This  was  his  only  crime. 
Nothing  else  could  have  been  proved  against  him. 
On  the  day  of  the  president’s  successful  return  to 
Guayaquil,  after  his  naval  victory  at  Jambeli,  Garcia 
Moreno  issued  a decree  of  banishment  against  Dr. 
Viola,  and  ordered  him  to  leave  the  country  by  the 
next  steamer.  That  very  same  night,  the  president, 
while  perusing  the  papers  found  on  board  the  vessels 
captured  by  him,  discovered  a letter  addressed  by 
Dr.  Viola  to  a Mr.  Yerobi,  an  Ecuadorian  exile  in  Peru, 
who,  although  the  brother-in-law  of  General  Urbina, 
the  chief  of  the  revolutionary  party,  had  not  taken 
part  in  his  expedition,  but,  as  was  subsequently  ascer- 
tained, had  quietly  remained  at  Lima  while  the  events 
above  narrated  took  place.  His  family  had  remained 
in  Ecuador,  and  as  Yerobi  was  very  poor,  his  relatives 
occasionally  sent  him  some  money  to  Peru,  to  enable 
him  to  live  in  his  expensive  exile.  For  the  transmis- 
sion of  these  amounts  to  Peru,  they  availed  themselves 
of  the  services  of  Dr.  Viola,  their  attorney  at  Guay- 


THE  MURDER  OF  DR/ VIOLA. 


231 


aquil.  Dr.  Viola  also  transmitted  their  private  corre- 
spondence. But  as  it  was  generally  believed  in  the 
country  that  letters  directed  to  any  of  the  Ecuadorian 
refugees  in  Peru,  would  be  detained  or  opened  by  the 
Ecuadorian  post-office  authorities,  it  was  the  general 
practice  to  direct  such  letters  to  fictitious  names, 
previously  agreed  upon.  Dr.  Viola,  following  this 
precaution,  notified  Yerobi  in  a short  note,  of  the  pseu- 
donym to  which  he  would  send  his  letters.  This  note 
never  reached  Yerobi.  His  brother-in-law,  General 
Urbina,  received  it  for  him  at  Paita,  and  took  it  with 
him  unopened  when  he  started  on  his  expedition. 
Thus  it  fell  into  Garcia  Moreno’s  hands,  after  the 
engagement  at  Jambeli.  It  hardly  filled  one  page  of 
note  paper.  I saw  and  read  it  with  my  own  eyes,  and 
I recollect  its  contents  distinctly.  It  proved  nothing ; 
it  raised  no  presumption.  The  jealousy  of  a despot 
might  have  looked  upon  it  as  a suspicious  circumstance, 
but  it  admitted  of  a satisfactory  explanation.  At  all 
events,  it  was  not  sufficient  to  overcome,  unsupported 
by  other  evidence,  the  legal  presumption  of  the  man’s 
innocence.  No  civilized  tribunal  would  have  convicted 
him  on  such  a document.  Not  even  a court-martial  of 
Garcia  Moreno’s  own  selection  would  have  found  him 
guilty.  The  president’s  principal  officers,  with  only 
one  exception,  were  opposed  to  the  execution  ; but 
such  considerations  had  no  weight  with  Garcia.  Early 
in  the  morning  of  the  dav  following  his  return  from 
Jambeli,  he  sent  for  Viola.  He  showed  him  the  letter, 
and  asked  him  whether  he  had  written  it.  “ Is  this 
your  signature  ?”  “ Yes,  sir;  it  is.”  • “ Then  you  are 

a traitor,  and  as  such,  you  will  be  shot  this  evening  at 
five  o’clock ! ” 

The  horrible  news  spread  like  wild-fire  over  Guay- 


232  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


aquil,  and  created  universal  consternation  and  horror. 
Every  body  felt  that  the  sword  of  Damocles  was  sus- 
pended over  his  own  head.  Capital  punishment  was 
prohibited  by  the  constitution  in  political  cases.  Ac- 
cording to  another  provision  of  that  same  instrument, 
the  president,  when  beyond  a certain  distance  from  the 
capital,  became  a mere  private  citizen,  while  the  exec- 
utive power  remained  temporarily  vested  in  the  vice- 
president.  And  yet  Mr.  Garcia  undertook  to  take  the 
life  of  an  innocent  man,  without  warrant  or  authority 
of  law,  and  without  any  cause  or  excuse.  Every  body 
interceded  for  his  life..  The  bishop,  the  clergy,  the 
president’s  aged  mother,  — a venerable  old  lady,  who 
had  to  be  carried  to  the  government  building  in  a 
sedan-chair,  — the  principal  merchants  and  bankers, 
the  president’s  personal  and  political  friends,  the  for- 
eign consuls  and  residents,  pleaded  for  Viola’s  life,  but 
Garcia  was  inexorable.  When  somebody  suggested 
that  it  would  be  much  better  to  send  Viola  out  of  the 
country,  lie  sneeringly  answered,  “ he  goes  to  the  other 
world  ! ” (uaZ  otro  munclo  se  va!  ”)  Viola  was,  person- 
ally, very  popular.  Every  body  knew  him,  and  every 
body  liked  him.  The  president  was  besought  during 
the  whole  day  to  spare  his  life,  but  in  vain.  No  other 
declaration  could  be  wrung  from  his  lips  but  the 
stern  sentence  : “ He  will  be  shot  this  evening  at  five 
o’clock  ! ” When  the  bishop  suggested  that  such  an 
execution  would  be  a violation  of  law  and  an  infraction 
of  the  constitution,  the  president  replied  that,  it  being 
impossible  to  save  the  country  from  anarchy  by  at- 
tempting to  govern  it  according  to  the  constitution, 
he  had  taken  the  responsibility  to  govern  it  according 
to  his  own  views  of  right  and  public  necessity.  He 
said  that  an  example  had  to  be  set,  and  he  was  deter- 
mined to  set  it. 


THE  REIGN  OF  TERROR. 


233 

While  the  whole  town  were  thus  besieging  the  pres- 
ident for  a commutation  of  the  dreadful  sentence,  Viola 
was  kept  in  irons  until  the  fatal  hour  arrived.  He  was 
not  allowed  to  see  or  take  leave  of  any  of  his  friends. 
Only  one  of  them  was  admitted  to  his  prison,  and  to 
him  he  dictated  his  last  will,  and  a few  private  letters. 
No  one  else  was  permitted  to  see  him,  and  he  refused 
to  see  the  priest  who  was  sent  to  him  by  the  govern- 
ment. He  was  kept  in  chains  until  he  was  led  out 
to  execution.  When  he  asked  that  his  manacles  be 
taken  off  but  for  a few  minutes,  so  that  he  might  write 
a letter  to  a lady  friend,  his  keepers  said  that  they  had 
no  authority  to  comply  with  his  request.  At  five  o’clock 
he  was  led  to  the  savana  or  pampa , in  the  rear  of  the 
city.  Here  his  chains  were  taken  from  him,  and  he 
was  shot  in  the  back  as  a traitor.  Inadvertently  his 
executioners  had  made  him  kneel  down  near  a nest  of 
black  ants,  which  covered  his  body  as  soon  as  he  fell, 
and  before  life  was  extinct.  A second  volley  had  to 
be  fired,  as  the  first  had  failed  to  kill  him.  Nobody  was 
allowed  to  attend  his  funeral.  He  was  even  denied  a 
Christian  burial.  Such  is  republicanism  in  Spanish- 
A merica ! 

But  I cannot  finish  this  tale  of  horrors  without  relat- 
ing another  deed,  still  more  revolting  in  its  details  than 
the  murder  of  Viola.  A short  time  after  the  incident 
just  related,  the  president  returned  to  Quito  to  open 
the  regular  session  of  Congress.  At  Bodegas,  while 
on  his  way  to  the  capital,  he  demanded  a list  of  those 
who  had  been  imprisoned  by  order  of  the  local  author- 
ities. This  list  contained,  among  others,  the  name  of 
a poor  old  man,  a resident  of  the  village  of  Pimoche, 
in  the  neighborhood  of  Bodegas,  who,  while  in  a state 
of  intoxication,  had  hurrahed  for  General  Urbina,  the 


234  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


leader  of  the  revolutionary  party.  The  president  or- 
dered him  to  he  sent  to  Pimoche  in  a canoe,  to  be 
executed  there  on  that  very  day.  Immediately  after 
the  canoe  had  left  with  the  victim  on  board,  the  gov- 
ernor and  principal  citizens  of  Bodegas  called  on  the 
president,  and  assured  him  that  the  man  he  had  just 
sentenced  to  death  was  entirely  innocent.  They  proved 
to  Mr.  Garcia  Moreno’s  fullest  satisfaction  that  the 
poor  old  man  had  always  been  known  as  a staunch 
supporter  of  the  government,  and  that  only  on  one 
occasion,  and  while  under  the  influence  of  liquor,  and 
not  knowing  what  he  said,  he  had  made  a few  drunken 
remarks  in  favor  of  General  Urbina.  The  president 
saw  that  he  had  committed  a sad  mistake,  and  dis- 
patched a second  canoe  to  Pimoche,  with  an  order 
countermanding  the  execution.  But  the  messenger 
of  grace  arrived  too  late.  When  his  canoe  came  in 
sight  of  the  village,  he  heard  the  reports  of  the  mus- 
kets which  had  just  done  their  bloody  Avork. 

The  majority  of  both  houses  of  Congress  was  opposed 
to  Garcia  Moreno  and  his  policy,  and  might  have  be- 
come troublesome.  But  Garcia  was  not  the  man  to 
allow  himself  to  be  thwarted  or  molested  by  the  repre- 
sentatives of  the  people.  He  at  once  banished  a num- 
ber of  the  opposition  members  to  Peru  and  New  Gra- 
nada, and  thus  intimidated  the  few  whom  he  allowed  to 
remain.  Hence,  when  the  widow  of  General  Maldo- 
nado charged  the  president  with  the  murder  of  her 
husband,  and  demanded  an  investigation,  Congress  re- 
fused to  consider  the  accusation,  and  voted  the  thanks 
of  the  nation  to  Garcia  for  the  energy  and  promptness 
with  which  he  had  repelled  Urbina’s  invasion,  and 
defeated  the  revolutionary  party  at  Jambeli. 

In  this  connection,  I must  state  that  Garcia  Moreno 


HOW  GARCIA  MORENO  ROSE  '10  POWER. 


himself  owed  his  elevation  to  power  to  a revolution 
against  a legitimate  government.  General  Robles  was 
the  constitutional  president  of  Ecuador  in  1860,  when 
complications  arose  with  Peru  which  led  to  a decla- 
ration of  hostilities.  General  Urbina,  who  was  com- 
mander-in-chief of  the  army,  had  marched  against  the 
Peruvians,  and  left  the  capital  almost  without  a garri- 
son. This  auspicious  moment  was  seized  by  Garcia 
Moreno  and  his  followers,  who  rose  against  the  admin- 
istration, organized  a provisional  government,  and  with 
an  extemporized  army  marched  south  in  pursuit  of 
Urbina.  The  latter,  on  hearing  of  their  movements, 
at  once  suspended  his  march  to  the  Peruvian  frontier, 
and  marched  back  in  the  direction  of  the  capital.  He 
defeated  Garcia  Moreno  at  the  village  of  Tumbucu,  near 
Guaranda,  reestablished  his  authority  at  Quito,  and 
drove  the  scattered  remnants  of  the  “ Provisionals  ” 
into  New  Granada,  after  which  he  again  set  out  to 
flglit  the  Peruvians.  But,  aided  bv  the  conservatives 
of  New  Granada,  the  Provisionals  again  invaded  the 
country,  and  took  possession  of  the  capital.  In  the 
mean  time,  General  Franco,  at  Guayaquil,  had  pro- 
nounced against  Robles  and  Urbina,  and  proclaimed 
himself  dictator.  Thus  Robles  and  Urbina  were  com- 
pelled to  give  up  the  struggle,  and  fled  to  Peru. 
Franco,  after  a protracted  civil  war,  was  in  his  turn 
driven  out  of  the  country  by  Garcia  Moreno,  who  thus 
secured  his  own  elevation  to  power.1 

1 In  justice  to  Mr.  Garcia  Moreno,  I must  add  here  that  he  was  not  with- 
out redeeming  qualities.  He  was  entirely  disinterested  in  money  matters, 
and  expended  all  his  salary  for  public  purposes.  When  not  blinded  by 
passion  and  prejudice,  he  was  fair-minded,  and  even  distinguished  by  a high 
sense  of  justice;  which,  however,  he  marred  by  his  endeavors  to  meddle 
with  every  thing,  and  to  regulate  every  thing.  He  was  undoubtedly  the 
bravest  man  in  Ecuador,  and  probably  in  Spanish- America,  and  ever  ready 
to  sacrifice  his  life,  of  which  he  was  as  reckless  as  of  the  lives  of  others. 


236  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


That  under  such  circumstances  there  can  be  no  lib- 

ty  of  the  press,  can  easily  be  imagined.  Indeed,  it 
can  hardly  be  said  that  there  is  a press  in  Ecuador. 
No  political  papers  were  regularly  published  at  Quito 
during  my  residence  there,  with  the  exception  of  one  or 
two  semi-official  organs,  established  for  temporary  pur- 
poses, — such  as  to  harangue  the  people  when  war  was 
apprehended,  and  to  be  discontinued  as  soon  as  the  dan- 
ger was  over.  Peruvian  papers  were  not  allowed  to 
circulate  in  the  country.  Other  foreign  papers  were 
virtually  excluded  by  the  exorbitant  postal  charges 
established  by  the  president.  The  regular  official  pa- 
per— “El  Nacional  ” — came  out  once  a week,  with 
occasional  interruptions  and  irregularities,  and  contained 
nothing  but  official  notices  and  correspondence,  new 
laws  and  decrees,  the  decisions  of  the  auditor’s  office 
( tribunal  de  cuentas ),  and  now  and  then  an  abusive 
editorial.  Violent  and  abusive  language,  and  a pom- 
pous and  almost  oriental  style,  full  of  exaggerations 
and  hifalutin,  characterize  the  great  bulk  of  Spanish- 
American  journalism.  Even  governments  will  not 
require  their  organs  to  employ  calm  and  dignified  lan- 
guage ; and  the  editorial  productions  of  cabinet  mem- 
bers themselves  are  as  abusive  and  unmeasured  as  the 
secret  publications  of  their  persecuted,  outlawed,  and 
embittered  antagonists. 

In  the  beoinnino;  of  Mr.  Moreno’s  administration, 
a poor  devil,  a Mr.  Riofrio,  relying  on  the  professions 
which  the  successful  party  had  made  before  their  acces- 

He  was  endowed  with  wonderful  energy  and  restless  activity;  neutralized, 
however,  by  his  heedless  precipitation  and  lack  of  judgment.  He  was 
well-meaning  and  sincere  in  his  fanaticism,  and,  I have  no  doubt,  really 
had  the  good  of  his  country  at  heart:  but  Torquemada,  too,  was  a sincerer 
man  than  Talleyrand,  for  example,  and  yet  he  was  a curse  to  Spain,  and 
unproductive  of  any  good  to  his  country  or  race. 


LIBERTY  OF  THE  PRESS. 


237 


sion  to  power,  attempted  to  publish  an  opposition  paper 
in  Quito,  but  was  immediately  set  upon  by  the  author- 
ities, and  saved  liinlself  only  by  a rapid  flight  over  the 
most  unfrequented  paths  and  by-ways  of  the  Cordillera  . 

I saw  him  when  he  arrived  at  Tumaco,  New  Granada, 
sore-footed,  and  worn  out  by  hardships  and  fatigue,  a 
melancholy  illustration  of  South- American  liberty. 

There  is,  however,  no  special  desire  to  read  news- 
papers among  the  people  in  the  interior  of  Ecuador, 
where  we  find  convents  instead  of  printing-presses, 
and  military  barracks  instead  of  school-houses.  Street 
talk  is  the  means  of  circulating  home  news,  and  about 
events  in  foreign  countries  the  people  care  but  little. 

In  1862,  a dentist  came  to  Quito — a native  of  Ven- 
ezuela, and  a man  of  some  intelligence  — who  had 
travelled  for  years  through  Ecuador,  Venezuela,  New 
Granada,  and  Peru ; still  he  did  not  know  that  there 
was  war  in  the  United  States.  He  was  but  one  of 
many.  I have  even  found  men  of  great  positive 
knowledge,  and  important  public  positions,  who  spent 
years  of  their  lives  without  reading,  a newspaper,  and 
who  knew  of  current  political  events  in  the  outer  world 
only  from  hearsay.  For  the  political  affairs  of  their 
own  country,  it  is  true,  a press  is  hardly  needed. 
They  scarcely  ever  rise  above  the  level  of  mere  per- 
sonalities. I often  listened  to  political  discussions  be- 
tween men  belonging  to  different  political  parties,  and 
heard  a great  deal  of  personal  criticism,  but  it  was 
very  seldom  that  I heard  an  abstract  principle  discussed, 
or  a question  of  statecraft  or  political  economy  argued. 
One  party  vilified  the  other  ; one  party  charged  the 
other  witli  the  very  same  crimes  and  acts  of  tyranny 
with  which  it  was  itself  charged  in  return.  When  I 
objected  to  this  mode  of  political  discussion  I was  told 


238  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH— AMERICANS. 


tliat  persons  were  tlie  representatives  of  principles,  and 
that  by  promoting  the  political  claims  of  certain  per- 
sons, the  principles  which  they  advocated  would  be 
furthered.  Hence  we  see  these  partisans  faithfully 
follow  the  standard  of  a favorite  leader,  no  matter 
how  often  he  changes  his  principles  or  belies  his  pro- 
fessions. 

Yet  it  would  be  unjust  to  speak  of  the  tyrannical 
and  arbitrary  spirit  and  practices  of  South  American 
governments,  without  considering  the  great  disadvan- 
tages at  which  they  are  placed.  Nothing,  of  course, 
could  extenuate  crimes  and  outrages  like  those  I have 
related,  yet  from  what  I know  of  Spanish-American 
character,  I cannot  believe  that  a government,  which 
should  endeavor  to  keep  itself  strictly  and  conscien- 
tiously within  the  bounds  of  legal  and  constitutional 
obligations,  would  be  able  to  maintain  itself  for  a single 
week  against  the  anarchical  and  revolutionary  tenden- 
cies of  the  opponents  with  whom  it  has  to  deal.  W e 
must  likewise  consider  the  peculiar  disadvantages  under 
which  the  political  existence  of  our  Latin  neighbors 
began.  We  must  consider  the  colonial  system  and 
policy  of  Spain,  which  had  unfitted  them  for  constitu- 
tional self-government,  instead  of  preparing  them  for  it. 

From  a centralized,  meddling,  and  relentless  despot- 
ism, the  Spanish-American  colonies  passed  to  a state 
of  unbridled  licentiousness.  They  were  not  prepared 
for  liberty,  which  they  did  not  understand.  With  their 
education  sadly  neglected,  and  their  minds  perverted 
by  monkish  superstition  on  one  side,  and  the  extrava- 
gance of  the  first  French  Revolution  on  the  other,  and 
without  any  political  or  parliamentary  experience  or 
training,  they  were  called  upon  to  lay  the  foundations 
of  a new  system  of  government  and  society.  Their 


SPANISH  RULE  IN  AMERICA. 


28S 


mpulses  were  good  and  generous,  but  the  vices  in- 
nerent  to  Spanish  civilization  got  the  better  of  minds 
ill-regulated  and  entirely  unfitted  for  the  great  task 
which  they  were  called  upon  to  undertake. 

When  the  North  American  colonies  first  gave  vent 
to  their  just  grievances,  they  asked  only  for  their  rights 
as  Britons.  No  new  theories  were  advanced,  no  inno- 
vations were  attempted.  Free  utterance  of  opinion 
was  not  a novelty  to  the  Anglo-Saxon  ; and  to  the 
principle  of  self-taxation  even  the  arbitrary  Tudors 
had  been  constrained  to  defer.  The  American  Revolu- 
tion was  not  so  much  of  a change  as  a vindication  of 

O 

principle.  British-Americans  were  accustomed  to  local 
and  municipal  self-government,  and  to  the  utmost  free- 
dom of  individual  locomotion  and  enterprise.  Not  so 
our  Spanish  neighbors.  They  had  no  ancient  rights  to 
vindicate,  for  the  king  was  absolute  in  both  hemi- 
spheres. They  had  never  known  colonial  legislatures, 
for  most  of  their  laws  were  made  in  Spain.  They  had 
no  parliamentary  or  representative  experience,  and 
were  unacquainted  with  the  institutions  and  experience 
of  the  only  European  nation  that  had  a constitutional 
history.  Heretical  England  was  a sealed  book  to  them, 
which  the  Inquisition  did  not  allow  them  to  read.  The 
fountain-head  of  all  power  over  the  colonies  was  the 
u Cornejo  de  Indicts”  a tribunal  which  sat  in  Spain, 
and  the  members  of  which,  appointed  by  the  crown, 
were  mostly  Spaniards,  many  of  whom  had  never  seen 
America.  The  viceroys  of  the  colonies  were  Span- 
iards who  came  to  the  new  world  for  the  purpose  only 
of  enriching  themselves  and  tlieir  minions.  The  ports 
of  the  colonies  were  closed  to  immigration.  Even  to 
the  visits  of  foreigners  they  were  almost  hermetically 
sealed.  The  inhabitants  enjoyed  no  freedom  of  loco- 


240  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


motion,  no  freedom  of  commerce  and  trade,  no  liberty 
of  the  press  or  political  discussion,  no  liberty  of  con- 
science. They  were  not  even  the  masters  of  their 
own  property.  What  they  should  plant  or  sow  in  this 
or  in  that  colony  ; what  branch  of  industry  should  be 
cultivated  in  this  or  in  that  district ; where- they  should 
buy,  and  where  and  what  they  should  be  allowed  to 
sell  ; with  what  ports  they  should  trade,  and  whither 
they  should  go  or  not  go  ; how  much  they  should  be 
allowed  to  import  or  export ; when  and  where  they 
should  get  married,  and  when  and  where,  not ; and 
how  long  they  should  be  allowed  to  stay  away  from 
their  wives  ; all  this  and  a great  deal  more  was  regu- 
lated and  prescribed  by  law.  Nothing  was  allowed  to 
regulate  itself.  The  government  provided  for  every 
thing,  and  carried  on  all  sorts  of  commercial,  agricul- 
tural, or  industrial  business.  There  was  no  relation 
of  private  and  every-day  life  with  which  the  govern- 
ment did  not  interfere,  and  which  it  did  not  attempt  to 
regulate.  Like  children,  the  colonies  had  allowed 
themselves  to  be  ruled.  They  had  been  kept  in  dark- 
ness and  ignorance  by  the  Inquisition,  and  were  cor- 
rupted by  the  baleful  influences  of  Indian  and  negro 
slavery.  Titles  of  nobility  constituted  their  only  ob- 
ject of  ambition  ; and  though  the  American  Spaniards 
hated  the  European  Spaniards,  whom  they  nicknamed 
“ Chapetones ,”  they  vied  with  the  latter  in  loyalty  and 
obedience  to  their  king.  They  would  never  have  dared 
to  take  charge  of  their  own  affairs,  had  not  Ferdinand 
VII.  been  captured  by  Napoleon.  The  first  revolu- 
tionary steps  in  Spanish- America  were  taken  in  the 
name  of  u our  beloved  and  worshiped  king,”  and 
avowedly  for  the  purpose  of  maintaining  his  divine 
authority  against  the  agents  and  emissaries  of  the 


ESTABLISHMENT  0E  INDEPENDENCE. 


241 


French  intruder.  The  faithful  colonies  would  never 
have  entertained  the  idea  of  independence,  at  first  sug- 
gested only  by  a few  extreme  radicals,  had  not  Ferdi- 
nand VII.  recklessly,  foolishly,  and  brutally  driven  — 
I may  even  be  allowed  the  expression  — kicked,  them 
away. 

When  the  chains  fell  at  last,  all  restraint  was  broken 
through  ; and  ambitious  generals,  rapacious  dema- 
gogues, and  well-meaning  but  unenlightened,  inexpe- 
rienced, and  violent  enthusiasts,  every  one  of  them 
jealous  and  distrustful  of  the  other,  with  an  ignorant 
and  imbruted  mass  to  bnild  upon,  were  to  reorganize 
society.  Is  it  to  be  wondered  at  that  they  failed  ? 

Their  war  of  independence  lasted  very  long,  and 
was  carried  on  in  a most  unrelenting:  and  barbarous 
manner  on  both  sides.  Prisoners  were  massacred,  and 
non-combatants  were  executed  without  mercy.  The 
civil  wars  of  the  old  conquerors  were  repeated  by  their 
descendants.  The  Spaniard  was  not  yet  expelled  from 
the  soil  of  America  when  the  Republicans  themselves 
turned  their  bloody  weapons  against  each  other’s 
breasts.  Endless  civil  wars  followed  the  establishment 
of  Spanish-American  independence.  Political  ambi- 
tion, personal  jealousies,  impracticable  theories,  official 
venality,  reckless  disregard  of  individual  rights  and 
legal  obligations,  foolish,  meddling,  and  empirical  legis- 
lation, and  an  absolute  want  of  political  morality, 
formed  the  principal  features  of  their  republican  his- 
tory. Contempt  for  labor  — that  fatal  Spanish  inher- 
itance — and  ati  intolerant,  bigoted,  and  rapacious  state 
church,  sucked  at  the  vitals  of  the  young  republics. 
Such  causes  could  not  fail  to  produce  the  effects  we 
have  seen. 

The  Spanish-American  did  not  know,  and  has  not 
16 


242  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISFI-AMERICANS. 


learned,  to  abide  by  majority  decisions,  or  to  redress 
wrongs  by  legal  and  constitutional  remedies.  From 
the  ballot-box  he  invariably  appeals  to  the  sword.  The 
restlessness  and  jealousy  of  his  political  leaders  are 
unbounded,  the  ignorance  of  the  masses  is  extreme. 
Those  ill  power  will  not  voluntarily  surrender  it. 
Those  out  of  power  will  strain  every  nerve  tc&oust 
their  lucky  rivals.  Bloody  executions,  forced  loans 
and  contributions,  tyrannical  confiscations  and  arbi- 
trary banishments,  reckless  issues  of  worthless  paper 
money,  unjust  impressments,  and  willful  destruction  of 
property,  mark  the  path  of  the  victorious  party  ; in  all 
of  which  outrages,  as  a general  rule,  it  only  follows 
the  previous  examples  of  its  vanquished  predecessors. 
The  latter,  defeated  on  the  field  of  battle,  will  resort 
to  plotting  and  conspiracy,  in  which  arts  they  are  mas- 
ters. They  will  conspire  as  long  as  their  enemies  re- 
main in  power.  Baffled  in  one  plot,  they  will  imme- 
diately concoct  another,  and,  in  their  own  opinion,  they 
are  always  sure  to  succeed.  Having  hardly  any  thing 
else  to  do,  and  hardly  ever  wishing  or  intending  to  do 
any  thing  else,  they  can  devote  the  best  part  of  their 
time  to  intriguing  and  fomenting  discontent  and  rebel- 
lion.  No  great  commercial  schemes  or  industrial  en- 
terprises engage  their  attention.  The  business  of  a 
Spanish-American  republic  is  periodically  paralyzed 
by  war  or  revolution.  Its  agriculture  is  continually 
interfered  with  by  the  recruiting  officers,  who  .carry 
away  farm-laborers  and  beasts,  of  burden.  The  middle 
classes  always  become  poorer,  the  poor  remain  poor, 
and  the  number  of  wealthy  families  is  continually  dimin- 
ishing. Men  whose  ancestors  belonged  to  the  richest 
of  the  land,  will  be  found  struggling  with  misery  and 
privation.  They  can  leave  nothing  to  their  children 


CONDUCT  OF  THE  ADMINISTRATION. 


243 


out  prejudices  and  aristocratic  pride.  They  may  be 
graduates  of  colleges  or  universities,  but  almost  every 
white  man  of  good  family  is,  and  hence  liberal  profes- 
sions do  not  pay.  How,  then,  are  these  gentlemen  to 
live  ? It  does  not  become  their  dignity  to  stoop  to  the 
level  of  an  Indian  or  half-breed  by  performing  common 
labor,  and  they  have  no  capital  or  energy  to  engage  in 
commercial  enterprises,  nor  could  the  anarchical  con- 
dition of  the  country  encourage  them  to  do  so.  They 
are  bound,  therefore,  to  live  on  political  employments  ; 
and  the  overthrow  of  a government  that  does  not  pro- 
vide for  them  will  be  their  chief  object  and  occupation. 
They  are  revolutionists  from  necessity,  and  are  ready 
to  do  the  bidding  of  those  who  are  revolutionists  from 
ambition  or  idleness. 

It  will  now  be  understood  why  a government,  in- 
stead of  endeavoring  to  promote  the  general  welfare 
and  develop  the  resources  of  the  country,  must  strain 
every  nerve  to  maintain  its  bare  existence  against  the 
restless  and  unremitting  efforts  of  its  enemies.  To 
detect  conspiracies,  to  prevent  insurrection,  to  watch 
suspected  characters,  and  to  rid  itself,  by  whatever 
means,  of  its  declared  enemies,  must  be  the  principal 
and  almost  exclusive  care  of  an  administration  so  placed. 
To  this  object  every  other  consideration  will  be  sacri- 
ficed. Individual  rights  will  be  trampled  upon,  depre- 
dations without  end  will  be  committed,  and  the  soldiery 
will  have  to  be  kept  in  good  humor,  at  whatever  cost. 
Hence  it  is  that  in  a country  which  bountiful  Nature 
has  intended  for  a paradise,  crumbling  ruins  and  tot- 
tering walls,  impassable  roads  and  miserable  hovels, 
neglected  fields  and  uninhabited  wastes,  lazy  vagabonds 
and  filthy  beggars,  cry  out  against  the  depravity  and 
culpable  incapacity  of  man. 


244  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH— AMERICANS. 


Shall  we  be  surprised,  therefore,  if  monarchical  ideas 
are  gaining:  ground  in  those  countries  ? The  advocates 
of  a monarchical  system  of  government  are  more  nu- 
merous than  is  generally  supposed.  They  often  speak 
without  reserve.  They  argue  in  the  following  manner : 
“ Experience  has  taught  us  that  our  race  is  not  fit  for 
republican  self-government.  The  principal  purpose 
of  all  government  is  the  security  of  person  and  prop- 
erty — the  protection  of  individual  rights.  This  pur- 
pose our  institutions  have  failed  to  accomplish.  Our 
lives  and  liberties  are  at  the  mercy  of  every  political 
adventurer  who  succeeds  to  power.  Our  property  is 
continually  being  pillaged  or  destroyed  by  those  who 
ought  to  protect  it.  We  cannot  maintain  order  at 
home  ; we  cannot  remain  at  peace  with  our  neighbors. 
Our  agriculture  has  not  advanced  beyond  what  it  was 
at  the  time  of  the  conquest.  Our  commerce  is  lan- 
guishing ; manufacturing  industry  we  have  almost 
none.  W e have  no  roads.  Our  cities  decay  ; the 
condition  of  our  finances  is  hopeless ; we  are  poor  in 
the  lap  of  boundless  natural  wealth.  Is  this  state  of 
affairs  to  last  forever  ? We  cannot  exist  as  republics, 
and  we  cannot  establish  a monarchy  of  our  own  ; for 
without  foreign  aid  it  would  not  maintain  itself  for  a 
single  day.  Still  we  admit  the  almost  unconquerable 
difficulties  of  establishing  a strong  government  or  a 
monarchy  by  the  aid  of  foreign  intervention.  The  tra- 
ditions of  our  war  of  independence  are  still  dear  to  the 
people.  They  dislike  foreigners,  and  still  cling  to  the 
republican  name.  And  yet  we  have  no  alternative 
left.  We  must  either  submit  to  be  swallowed  up  in 
the  end  by  the  Anglo-Saxon  race,  or  follow  the  exam- 
ple of  the  French  party  of  Mexico.  The  former  would 
be  preferable  to  our  present  miserable  existence ; but 


PRESENT  CONDITION  OF  SPANISH  AMERICA.  245 


we  naturally  cling  to  our  nationality,  our  religion,  and 
our  language,  and  should  not  like  so  radical  a change. 
Moreover,  we  cannot  afford  to  wait  until,  in  the  nat- 
ural course  of  time  and  events,  the  Anglo-Saxon  ex- 
tends his  dominion  over  South  America.  Bad,  there- 
fore, as  foreign  intervention  may  be,  it  is  our  last  and 
our  only  hope.  And  yet  what  foreign  power  would 
undertake  the  hopeless  and  unprofitable  task  of  saving 
us  from  ourselves  ? ” 

To  such  reasoning  I was  often  compelled  to  listen. 
There  are  points  in  it  which  cannot  be  answered.  The 
present  condition  of  the  Spanish-American  republics 
is  indeed  very  discouraging.  The  infusion  of  fresh 
blood  — a mass  immigration  of  a vigorous  and  enter- 
prising foreign  element,  might  perhaps  save  them. 
But  where  is  that  immigration  to  come  from  ? As 
long  as  our  immense  territory  west  of  the  Mississippi ; 
as  long  as  British  Columbia  and  the  young  giant  Aus- 
tralia  promise  a vast  and  fertile  field  of  enterprise  to 
European  immigration,  — a field  where  every  thing  is 
ready  for  its  reception,  and  where  religious  toleration, 
constitutional  liberty,  and  security  of  person  and  prop- 
erty are  really  guaranteed  to  the  settler,  — who  would 
bury  himself,  however  splendid  the  climate,  and  how- 
ever rich  the  soil,  in  the  inaccessible  highlands  of  the 
Andes,  with  their  impassable  roads,  their  earthquakes, 
the  religious  fanaticism  of  the  inhabitants,  their  want 
of  schools,  and  tlieir  endless  foreign  wars  and  revolu- 
tionary convulsions  ? Who  would  seek  a home  in  the 
lowlands  on  the  sea-board,  under  the  burning  sun  of 
the  tropics,  with  their  fevers  and  dysenteries,  and  other 
climatic  diseases,  as  long  as  there  are  room  and  pros- 
pects for  him  in  the  cradle  of  future  Empire  States 
between  the  Mississippi  and  the  Pacific  Ocean  ? Avho 


246  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


would  prefer  Spanish  indolence  and  poverty  to  Saxon 
enterprise  and  prosperity? 

There  is  no  hope  for  the  present  that  Spanish  Amer- 
ica— perhaps  Chili  and  Buenos  Ayres  excepted  — 
will  be  rejuvenated  by  a large  and  civilizing  foreign 
immigration.  A remote  future  may  realize  this  expec- 
tation, but  it  is  too  far  in  the  distance.  When  the 
hand  that  writes  these  lines  has  long  moldered  in  the 
grave,  and  generations  upon  generations  have  passed 
away,  then  perhaps  will  the  area  of  Saxon  civilization 
extend  from  Hudson’s  Bay  and  New  Cornwall  to  Pat- 
agonia and  Cape  Horn.  Then,  perhaps,  will  the  world 
see  a new  conquest  effected,  not  by  the  prowess  of  mil 
itary  heroes  or  savage  filibusterism,  but  by  modern 
genius  and  the  blissful  arts  of  peace.  Then,  perhaps, 
will  prosperous  empires  stretch  over  this  western  hem- 
isphere, based  not  on  the  “ manifest-destiny  ” pro- 
gramme of  an  insatiable  slave  power,  but  on  the  rights 
of  man,  the  triumph  of  modern  civilization,  and  the 
blessings  of  real  liberty  and  law.  Then  will  the  crimes 
of  Negro  slavery  in  the  North,  and  Indian  slavery  in 
the  South,  be  atoned  for  : and  peace  and  prosperity 
will  reign  at  last  over  the  graves  of  Montezuma  and 
Atahuallpa.  The  vision  is  beautiful,  but,  alas,  it  is 
yet  a dream  ! 

In  the  mean  time,  it  becomes  our  most  imperative 
duty  to  counteract  by  our  own  example  the  pernicious 
effects  which  the  example  of  Spanish  America  contin- 
ually produces  in  the  Old  World.  It  becomes  our  duty 
to  prove  to  the  nations  of  the  earth,  that  republican 
constitutional  self-government  is  not  a vision  or  a dream, 
but  a living  reality  ; so  that  when  the  enemies  of  liberty 
and  republicanism  point  to  Spanish  America  in  order 
to  prove  the  correctness  of  their  reactionary  views,  the 


INFLUENCE  OF  NORTH  AMERICA. 


247 


friends  of  liberty  may  be  able  to  point  to  North  Amer- 
ica for  a triumphant  refutation.  This  is  a duty  we  owe 
to  ourselves  and  to  humanity.  We  cannot  force  other 
nations  to  be  like  ourselves  ; we  cannot  force  other  na- 
tions to  be  virtuous  and  wise.  We  cannot  compel  our 
Spanish  neighbors  to  abide  bv  the  laws  of  their  own 
making,  and  to  love  peace,  order,  and  liberty  as  we  do. 
But  we  can  prove  to  them,  by  our  own  increasing  pros- 
perity, intelligence,  and  happiness,  what  a blessing  it  is 
to  be  law-abiding  and  tolerant ; to  preserve  order  and 
domestic  tranquillity  without  sacrificing  liberty,  and  to 
maintain  liberty  without  endangering  order  and  peace. 
North  America  may  lean  on  its  past,  and  its  short  but 
glorious  political  history,  and  thus  be  truly  progressive 
while  truly  conservative ; but  Spanish  America  must 
bury  the  institutions,  customs,  prejudices,  and  idiosyn- 
crasies of  the  past,  beyond  the  possibility  of  resurrec- 
tion. She  must  drain  the  swamp  of  stagnation,  indo- 
lence, and  thriftlessness,  and  pile  mountains  of  solid 
rock  and  fresh  earth  on  the  grave  of  the  Middle  Ages, 
before  she  can  hope  to  see,  instead  of  the  ignes  fatui 
and  fungi  of  the  swamp,  the  healthy  foliage  of  modern 
civilization. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


Trip  to  the  Province  of  Imbabura.  — Descent  to  the  River  Guaillabamba 

— The  Pyramids.  — Their  History.  — The  Village  of  Guaillabamba. 

— Wild  Mountainous  Scenery. — The  Switzerland  of  America.  — The 
River  Pisque.  — A Historical  Reminiscence.  — Gonzalo  Pizarro  and 
the  Viceroy  Blasco  Nunez  Vela. — ’American  Aloe;  its  Multifarious 
Uses.  — Tabacundo.  — Gente  del  Pueblo  or  Common  People. — Alto  de 
Cajas.  — Lake  St.  Pablo.  — The  Festival  of  St.  John.  — Gi’eat  Indian 
Celebrations. — The  Feast  at  Otabalo.  — Indian  Dances  and  Masquer- 
ades.— Gambling. — Ugliness  of  Indian  Women.  — The  Chapel  of  M011- 
serate.  — Idolatrous  Practices. — Corrida  de  Gallos.  — San  Juan  and 
San  Pedro  at  the  Village  of  Cayambi.  — Mt.  Cayambi.  — Longevity. — 
Agua  Gloriada.  — Contra-dances.  — Guarapo . — Reports  of  Volcanic  Ac- 
tivity. — More  Gold  Legends.  — Servo  Pelado.  — Col.  Hall’s  attempted 
Ascent  of  Mt.  Cayambi.  — Gold  Somewhere.  — The  Napo  Province  on 
the  Eastern  Side  of  the  Cordillera.  — Compulsory  Sales  of  Merchandise 
to  Indians  by  the  Governor.  — Destruction  of  Three  Cities  by  the  In- 
dians.— No  Vestige  remains.  — Poetic  Retribution.  — Legends  and 
Traditions.  — The  Fate  of  the  Captured  Women  of  Golden  Sevilla. 

Desirous  of  acquainting  myself  with  the  country  to 
the  north  of  the  capital,  and  especially  the  province  of 
Imbabura,  of  whose  beauty  and  fertility  I had  heard 
so  much,  I left  Quito  on  the  24th  of  June,  1863. 
There  are  two  roads  leading  to  the  northern  province. 
The  one  crossing  the  paramo  of  Mojanda  is  consider- 
ably shorter,  but  impassable  in  rainy  weather.  The 
other,  through  the  village  of  Guaillabamba  turns  the 
mountain  chain  that  separates  the  provinces  of  Picliin- 
cha  and  Imbabura,  and  traversing  a ridge  by  which  that 
chain  is  connected  with  the  folds  of  Mt.  Imbabura, 
descends  to  the  lake  of  San  Pablo.  To  know  both  I 
took  the  latter,  resolving  to  return  by  the  former 
For  several  leagues  to  the  northeast  of  Quito,  and 


DESCENT  FROM  THE  TABLE-LAND. 


249 


before  reaching  the  sandy  deserts  of  Pomasqui  and 
San  Antonio,  the  country  is  nearly  level,  and  clothed 
with  an  ever-verdant  growth  of  native  grass,  sparingly 
dotted  with  trees  of  wild  cherries  ( capuli ) and  myrtle. 

At  a point  called  “ Chaupicruz,”  the  Camino  Peal 
separates  from  the  road  to  Cotocollao  and  Pomasqui, 
which  we  now  leave  to  the  left,  and  descend  into  a 
sandy  plain  called  “ Carretas,”  from  which  we  have  a 
view  of  the  valley  of  Tumbaco  and  Puembo  to  our 
right.  Passing  through  an  insignificant  village  called 
Chingletina,  we  arrive  at  the  brow  of  a steep  hill,  from 
which  the  descent  to  the  tortuous  Guaillabamba  com- 
mences. This  river  takes  its  rise  at  the  head  of  the 
valley  of  Chillo,  and  is  augmented  by  several  streams 
coming  principally  from  the  eastern  Cordillera.  It 
finally  unites  its  waters  with  those  of  the  Esmeraldas 
in  its  course  to  the  Pacific.- 

A yawning  quebrada  (defile  or  ravine)  now  opens 
at  our  feet.  The  mountain  is  so  steep  and  precipitous 
that  we  must  wend  our  way  down  in  a continuous  zig- 
zag. The  different  paths,  or  rather  ruts,  which  we 
follow,  are  generally  narrow,  and  sometimes  so  near 
the  precipice  that  the  eye  involuntarily  shrinks  from 
the  contemplation  of  the  depth  over  which  we  seem  to 
hover.  This,  however,  is  nothing  uncommon  on  South- 
American  roads.  It  is  a sensation  to  which  the  trav- 
eller will  have  to  get  accustomed  on  his  way  from 
Chingletina  to  Tabacundo. 

The  descent  from  the  table-land  to  the  bottom  of 
the  valley,  measuring  a perpendicular  height  of  nearly 
three  thousand  feet,  can  hardly  be  achieved  in  less 
than  two  hours,  during  which  the  traveller  is  incom- 
moded by  the  heat  of  the  sun  reflected  from  the  bare 
rooks  and  sand,  to  avoid  which  he  prefers,  if  possible, 
to  start  with  the  early  dawn. 


250  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


The  upper  part  of  the  mountain  on  which  we  now 
stand  is  bleak  and  barren,  particularly  when  viewed 
from  a distance.  Nevertheless,  upon  beginning  our 
descent,  we  meet  with  an  abundance  of  wild  flowers, 
relieving  the  monotony  of  a scarce  and  stunted  vegeta- 
tion and  a parched  and  dreary  soil.  But  dreary  and 
barren  beyond  conception,  and  almost  repulsive  to  be- 
hold, are  the  hills  to  the  right  of  the  quebrada,  and  in 
the  direction  of  Puembo  and  Pifo.  Intersected  by  in- 
numerable ravines,  they  seem  to  form  a mass-meeting 
of  independent  paupers,  stripped  of  every  thing  like 
dress  or  vegetation,  except  an  almost  imperceptible 
threadbare  coat  of  faded  yellow  green,  insufficient  to 
hide  their  nakedness.  In  the  rear  of  the  plain  resting 
on  these  hills,  rise  the  mountains  on  which  the  plateau 
of  Quito  rests,  and  in  the  rear  of  all,  Pichincha  raises 
its  rocky  head.  To  the  east  of  Pichincha,  the  Cora- 
zon,  the  Ilinisa,  Ruminagui,  Pasachoa,  Cotopaxi,  Sin- 
cholagua,  and  Antisana  range  in  an  imposing  semi- 
circle, from  which  they  look  down  into  the  valleys  of 
Chillo  and  Puembo,  which  are  separated  from  each 
other,  by  an  isolated  mountain  called  “ Ilalu.” 

We  are  so  high  now  that  we  cannot  hear  the  wild 
rushing  of  the  waters  below.  In  front  of  us,  on  the 
other  side  of  the  river,  we  see  the  village  of  Guailla- 
bamba  in  the  distance  ; a fresh  green  spot,  pleasing 
to  the  eye,  and  relieving  the  barren  monotony  that 
surrounds  us.  It  rests  on  a pedestal  of  bald  hills, 
and  is  surrounded  by  a second  and  higher  range  of 
bleak  and  sandy  mountains.  To  our  right,  on  the 
other  side  of  an  abyss,  the  bottom  of  which  we  cannot 
descry  from  our  present  stand-point,  is  the  pyramid  of 
Caraburu,  one  of  the  points  of  the  triangle  selected  by 
the  French  Academicians  and  two  Spanish  matbema- 


THE  PYRAMIDS. 


251 


ticians,  in  1736,  for  the  purpose  of  measuring  a degree 
of  the  meridian  under  the  equator.  Two  pyramids 
were  intended  to  commemorate  their  labors,  the  one 
just  referred  to,  and  another  at  a point  called  Oyam- 
baro,  near  the  village  of  Yaruqui ; the  summit  of  Mt. 
Pambamarca,  having  been  selected  for  the  vertex  of 
the  triangle.  The  pyramids  now  existing  are  not  the 
same,  however,  that  were  erected  by  the  French  Aca- 
demicians in  the  year  1736  ; these  latter  having  been 
demolished  by  order  of  the  Royal  Council  of  the  In- 
dies. M.  de  la  Condamine,  one  of  the  French  Aca- 
demicians, it  seems,  had  proceeded  with  their  construc- 
tion without  having  consulted  his  Spanish  colleagues, 
Don  Antonio  Ulloa  and  Don  Jorje  Juan,  who  had 
been  appointed  by  the  King  of  Spain  to  assist  in  the 
arduous  and  important  enterprise  of  ascertaining  the 
true  shape  of  the  earth  by  the  above-mentioned  meas- 
urement. Condamine  had  not  even  consulted  his 
French  colleague,  M.  Godin,  who  seems  to  have 
been  his  superior  in  the  expedition  ; and  in  the  tablets 
which  the  former  inserted  in  the  pyramids,  the  names 
of  the  Spanish  mathematicians  had  not  been  mentioned. 
This  want  of  courtesy,  however,  did  not  create  so  much 
indignation  among  the  inhabitants  of  the  province  of 
Quito,  as  the  French  arms,  the  lilies,  with  which 
Condamine  had  adorned  the  pyramids.  This  act  was 
considered  by  the  populace  as  equivalent  to  an  asser- 
tion by  France,  of  a right  to  the  possession  of  the 
colony,  and  a universal  outcry  was  raised,  which  led 
to  judicial  proceedings  against  the  pyramids  before  the 
Real  Audiencia  of  Quito.  The  suit  was  instituted  at 
the  complaint  of  the  Spanish  mathematicians,  and  de- 
fended by  Monsieur  de  la  Condamine  with  great  vigor 
and  ingenuity.  He  said  that  the  lilies,  being  the  arms 


2d2  POUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


of  the  house  of  Bourbon,  eoulcl  not  be  derogatory  to 
the  dignity  of  Spain,  as  branches  of  the  same  family 
ruled  over  both  countries.  He  further  said  that  those 
very  lilies  were  sculptured  on  the  facades  of  several 
of  the  churches  of  Quito,  without  giving  umbrage  to 
anybody.  With  regard  to  the  omission  of  the  names 
of  the  Spanish  mathematicians,  he  was  willing  to  in- 
sert them  in  the  inscription,  and  to  place  them  above 
and  before  the  names  of  the  Frenchmen.  To  some 
such  arrangement  the  Iieal  Audiencia  of  Quito  con- 
sented, and  ordered  thq,  obnoxious  features  of  the  pyr- 
amids to  be  changed  ; but  the  Council  of  the  Indies 
was  dissatisfied  with  this  moderation,  and  in  conformity 
with  instructions  received  from  the  Court,  commanded 
their  demolition,  and  the  erection  in  their  stead  of 
other  suitable  monuments.  The  Marquis  de  la  Ense- 
nada, by  whom  this  order  was  given,  however,  as  if 
ashamed  of  its  barbarity,  modified  it  by  a second  order 
issued  two  months  later  (Oct.  17,  1746),  in  which  he 
instructed  the  Audiencia  of  Quito  to  spare  the  pyramids 
if  the  obnoxious  inscriptions  could  be  removed  with- 
out injury  to  the  structures  ; but  the  work  of  destruc- 
tion had  already  been  accomplished,  and  during  the 
century  following  their  demolition,  not  a vestige  of 
them  remained.  In  November,  1836,  President  Roca- 
fuerte  rebuilt  them,  depositing  under  their  foundations 
an  urn  containing  a tablet  with  a Spanish  inscription, 
of  which  the  following  is  a translation  : — 

“The  French  Academicians,  Messrs.  Louis  Godin,  Peter 
Bouguer,  and  Charles  Maria  de  la  Condamine,  sent  by  Louis 
XV.,  King  of  France,  and  under  the  ministry  of  M.  Mau- 
repas,  erected  these  pyramids  in  the  month  of  November, 
1736  ; they  were  destroyed  by  command  of  the  kings  of 
Spain,  and  rebuilt  one  hundred  years  afterwards,  in  No- 


THE  QUEBRADA. 


253 


vember,  1836  (on  the  exact  points  determined  by  the 
French  Academicians),  by  order  of  his  Excellency  Vicente 
Rocafuerte,  President  of  the  Republic,  the  Hon.  Antonio 
Morales  being  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs.  At  that  time 
the  throne  of  France  was  occupied  by  Louis  Philippe,  the 
president  of  his  council  of  ministers  being  M.  Thiers,  and 
John  Baptist  W.  De  Mendeville  consul  of  France  to  the 
Republic  of  Ecuador.  This  tablet  was  made  and  engraved 
in  the  mint  of  Quito,  November  20th,  1836,  M.  Alberto 
Zalazza  being  first  director  of  the  establishment,  and  it  was 
deposited  under  the  base  of  this  pyramid  on  the  25th  of  the 
same  month  of  November,  of  the  same  year  1836.” 

In  1841  the  French  Academy  presented  to  the  Ecua- 
dorian government  an  inscription  which  they  desired 
to  have  engraved  on  the  pyramids,1  but  it  has  not  yet 
been  done,  and  probably  never  will  be.  The  structures 
themselves  are  pyramids  only  in  name.  They  are  low, 
square  piles  of  bricks,  whitewashed,  and  covered  with 
a pyramidal  roof  of  tiles.  At  a distance,  if  it  were  not 
for  their  coat  of  whitewash,  they  could  not  be  distin- 
guished from  common  Indian  huts,  which  they  resem- 
ble in  appearance. 

But  it  is  time  to  commence  our  descent  into  the 
yawning  quebrada  of  Guaillabamba. 

With  our  descent,  vegetation  increases,  but  it  is  a 
quaint,  cheerless,  withering  vegetation.  The  stunted 
trees  of  the  Mimosa  or  Espino  ( spine ),  as  the  natives 
call  them,  flattened  on  top  in  a most  curious  manner, 
are  covered  with  a parasitical  vegetation  — resembling 
long,  gray  beards  — floating  from  their  branches,  and 
giving  them,  as  they  stand  between  the  rocks,  and 

1 Geminam  pvramidem,  Monumentum  doctrinae  simul  et  grande  adju- 
mcutum,  olim  injuria  temporum  eversam,  Vicentius  Rocafuerte  Reipublic<e 
/Equatorialis  praises  restituit,  gloriosseque  instaurationis  litteri3  consignan- 
due  Annuente  consortium  Ludovico  Philippo  I.  Rege  Francorum,  ornari  con- 
junctis  utri  usque  gentis  insignibus  jussit  curavit.  Anno  mdcccxxxvl 


254  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


queer  and  fantastic  formations  of  cacti  and  pencos,1  the 
appearance  of  old  wizards  haunting  this  enchanted 
scene.2  A stone  bridge  is  thrown  across  the  river,  the 
bed  of  which  is  about  six  thousand  three  hundred  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  sea,  and  the  deafening  noise 
of  the  rushing  waters  follows  us  long;  after  we  have 
passed  it. 

The  ascent  on  the  other  side  of  the  river  is  less  steep 
and  precipitous,  and  we  soon  reach  the  small  villages 
of  Cuchupango,  Cachipamba,  and  Guaillabamba,  which 
seem  to  form  one  continuous  population.  The  village 
of  Guaillabamba  is  situated  about  a mile  farther  to  the 
east  of  the  bridge,  and  but  six  hundred  and  forty-six  - 
feet  above  the  bed  of  the  river.  The  character  of  the 
scenery  now  changes.  As  if  by  enchantment,  we  are 
transported  into  a semi-tropical  region.  Here  grow 
the  coffee-tree,  the  sugar-cane,3  and  many  of  the  rank 
creepers  peculiar  to  southern  climes.  The  houses,  or 
rather  huts,  are  no  longer  of  earth  or  adobe , like  those 
around  Quito,  but  of  a species  of  wild  cane  which  the 
natives  call  cariso , interwoven  with  twigs.  They  are 
low,  having  merely  a ground-floor,  and  are  thatched 
with  the  straw  (dried  leaves)  of  the  sugar-cane.  The 

1 Penco , the  Cereus  sepinus , D.  C.  V.  iii.,  p.  4G7 ; Cactus  sepinus  H.  B.  K., 
Syn.  FT.,vol.  iii.,  p.  370,  to  which  is  appended  the  following  remark  : “Ad 
sepes  construendas  inservit  et  bacca:  contra  colicam  biliosam  feliciter  adhi- 
bentur.”  The  whole  plant  abounds  in  mucilage,  which,  mixed  with  gyp- 
sum, or  powdered  lime,  is  used  economically  in  whitewashing.  It  is  per- 
haps the  only  species  which  reaches  the  elevation  of  10,600  feet.  — From 
Dr.  Win.  Jameson's  Manuscript  Notes. 

- This  profuse,  beard-like  growth,  is  the  Tillandsia  usneoides , a widely 
distributed  species,  occurring  in  the  hot  valleys  of  the  Andes,  in  some  parts 
of  the  country  near  Guayaquil,  in  the  woods  near  Rio  Janeiro,  and  even  in 
some  districts  of  the  United  States.  Among  the  natives  it  is  known  by 
the  name  of  Salvage,  or  Barba  de  Salvage , and  is  used  as  an  ordinary  arti- 
cle for  stuffing  mattresses,  sofas,  and  other  furniture. — / bid. 

3 At  the  village  of  Guaillabamba,  the  sugar-cane  requires  a period  of 
eighteen  months  to  arrive  at  a state  of  maturity.  — Ibid. 


ON  THE  MOUNTAINS. 


255 


inhabitants  no  longer  present  that  ruddy  and  healthy 
appearance  which  cheers  the  heart  in  the  Ecuadorian 
highlands,  but  are  pale,  sickly,  and  haggard.  A plat 
of  marsliv  ground,  on  the  left  side  of  the  village,  fills 
the  atmosphere  with  miasmatic  exhalations.  Intermit- 
tent fevers  are  prevalent.  A single  night’s  sojourn 
will  frequently  communicate  the  germ  of  the  malady, 
which  may,  after  several  days,  be  developed  in  another 
place,  far  removed  from  its  influence. 

I left  Guaillabamba  between  one  and  two  o’clock  in 
the  afternoon.  A short  ride  up  the  mountain  side, 
and  I had  again  left  every  thing  behind  that  reminded 
me  of  the  tropics.  I now  rode  along  the  slopes,  and 
over  the  ridges  of  sandy  mountains,  forming  deep  and 
narrow  defiles,  through  which  murmuring  and  rushing 
rivers  wind  their  tortuous  course.  I was  in  the  Switz- 
erland of  America  again.  The  same  scarcity  of  trees 
that  characterizes  other  parts  of  the  interior  strikes  us 
here.  But  here  the  mountains  are  covered  with  green 
shrubs  rising  to  the  height  of  little  trees,  and  enameled 
with  wild  flowers,  so  that  they  are  not  so  saddening  to 
the  eye  as  those  that  cluster  around  the  entrance  of 
the  quebrada  of  Guaillabamba.  Our  path  leads  us 
along  precipices  for  several  leagues.  Tbe  rocks  through 
which  passages  have  been  hewn,  and  which  sometimes 
overhang  the  road  in  a most  threatening  manner  ; the 
quaint  and  curious  vegetation  with  which  these  rocks 
are  covered  ; the  height  in  which  we  toil  along ; the 
foaming  rivers  below,  impatient  of  their  confinement  ; 
the  almost  perpendicular  mountain  sides  down  which 
one  false  step  of  the  horse  or  mule  would  inevitably 
hurl  us  into  the  deeper  abyss  of  death  ; the  mountains 
themselves  towering  around  and  above  us,  now  and 
then  crowned  with  trachytic  rocks  of  queer  formation  ; 


256  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


the  loose  stones  with  which  our  path  is  frequently  cov- 
ered, if  not  obstructed  ; and  the  setting  sun  casting  a 
last  smile  on  the  wild  scene,  present  a highly  pictur- 
esque and  romantic  aspect,  and  fill  the  soul  with  the 
grandest  emotions.  Now  we  pass  over  the  lofty  moun- 
tain ridges,  with  nothing  but  the  sky  above  us,  and 
that  singular  vegetation  around  us  which  precedes  the 
monotonous  grass  of  the  paramo ; now  we  descend 
into  the  deepest  recesses  of  hidden  defiles,  in  which 
the  majestic  aguacate  tree,  with  its  beautiful  dark- 
green  foliage,  affords  a pleasant  relief  to  the  wander- 
ing eye ; now  we  have  to  descend  to  a river  and  ford 
it,  then  again  to  ascend  the  highest  ridges  on  the  other 
side. 

One  of  the  rivers  1 had  to  cross,  was  the  Pisque, 
which  takes  its  rise  on  Mt.  Cayambi,  and  flows 
through  these  narrow  valleys  over  huge  masses  of  ba- 
salt, detached  from  its  banks,  which  latter  reach  an 
elevation  of  nearly  fifteen  hundred  feet.  A narrow 
path  ascends  from  the  other  side  of  the  bridge,  cut 
with  infinite  labor  through  the  basalt,  and  paved  with 
the  same  material.  Here  it  was,  according  to  an  un- 
supported  account  of  Father  Velasco,  that  in  1546, 
Gonzalo  Pizarro  awaited  the  arrival  of  the  Viceroy 
Fiasco  Nunez  Vela,  who,  falling  into  the  snare  pre- 
pared for  him  by  the  former,  had  left  his  safe  retreat 
at  Popayan,  and,  reinforced  by  Sebastian  Benalcazar, 
marched  on  Quito,  having  falsely  been  made  to  believe 
that  Pizarro  had  gone  south  with  his  forces,  leaving 
only  a small  garrison  under  Pedro  de  Puelles  to  pro- 
tect the  town.  Father  Velasco  then  goes  on  to  state 
that  the  Viceroy,  in  the  disguise  of  an  Indian,  recon- 
noitered  in  person  the  position  of  Gonzalo,  and  finding 
it  impregnable,  determined  to  go  to  Quito  by  another 


P1ZARR0  AND  NUNEZ  VELA. 


25' 


route.  The  Father  also  speaks  of  a tradition  that  Gon- 
zalo  Pizarro  reconnoitered  the  position  of  the  Viceroy 
on  that  very  same  day,  and  also  in  the  disguise  of  an 
Indian.  These  stories,  however,  must  have  originated 
in  the  over-fruitful  imagination  of  Father  Velasco,  who 
is  continually  carried  away  by  his  love  for  the  marvel- 
ous and  romantic.  None  of  the  contemporary  authors 
whom  I have  consulted  on  the  subject,  mentions  them, 
even  as  legends.  On  the  contrary,  according  to  Za- 
rate, the  armies  were  so  near  each  other  that  such 
dangerous  reconnoitering  was  entirely  unnecessary. 
The  Viceroy’s  camp  was  on  the  steep  hill-side  forming 
the  opposite  bank  of  the  river,  and  the  voices  of  the 
sentinels  could  be  distinctly  heard  in  the  opposite  camps, 
and  “ they  did  not  fail  to  salute  one  another  with  the 
epithet  of  ‘ traitors.’  ” 1 Finding  that  Pizarro’s  position 
was  such  as  to  enable  him  to  hold  his  own  against  i>u- 
perior  forces,  the  Viceroy,  whose  forces  were  consid- 
erably inferior,  did  not  dare  to  attack  him,  but  by  a 
night  march,  attempted  to  get  into  his  rear.  Leaving 
his  camp-fires  burning  to  deceive  the  enemy,  he  began 
his  circuitous  march  in  the  direction  of  Quito.  But 
from  the  description  of  this  part  of  the  country,  and 
its  roads,  which  I have  just  given,  my  readers  will  be 
able  to  judge  of  the  hardships  which  he  had  to  suffer. 
Unfortunately  it  began  to  rain.  Rivers  and  defiles  had 
to  be  crossed,  and  precipitous  mountains  to  be  ascended 
tyid  descended,  in  the  darkness  of  a tempestuous,  cheer- 
less night.  Many  horses  fell  on  the  slippery  ground, 
and  rolled  into  abysses ; and,  losing  his  way,  instead 
of  falling  upon  the  rear  of  Pizarro’s  position,  which 
he  could  not  reach,  the  Viceroy  had  to  lead  his  ex- 
hausted and  discouraged  troops  to  Quito,  near  which, 

1 Zarate,  Conq.  del  Peru , lib.  v.  chap.  34. 

17 


258  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


a day  or  two  after  this  fatal  inarch,  the  decisive  battle 
was  fought  (January  18,  1546). 

Wending  our  way  through  a labyrinth  of  narrow  val- 
leys, rivers,  and  defiles,  we  at  last  reached  the  Clior- 
rera,  a cascade  through  which  the  waters  gathering  on 
the  table-lands  above,  are  discharged  into  the  rivers, 
the  course  of  which  we  had  followed  for  the  last  two 
or  three  hours.  A few  miserable  huts  are  built  around 
it.  Orange  and  aguacate  1 trees  are  planted  around 
some  habitations  below  the  waterfall.  But  the  reg- 
ular tambo  is  about  two  hundred  feet  above  it.  It  is 
built  of  reeds  brought  up  from  Guaillabamba,  but  it  is 
the  last  building;  of  that  kind  on  our  onward  march  to 
Ibarra.  It  may  be  considered  a landmark  of  the  semi- 
tropical  region  which  we  have  just  left ; for  now  the 
houses  which  we  pass  on  the  road  are  made  of  adobes, 
as  •around  Quito.  The  tambo  belongs  to  a little  haci- 
enda, occupying  the  narrow  ridge  of  a mountain  pro- 
jecting into  and  forming  a bend  in  the  stream.  It 
contained  two  unfloored  rooms,  if  they  may  be  called 
so,  — one  for  the  accommodation  of  travellers,  with 
four  platforms  of  reeds  fastened  to  the  sides  of  the 
building,  and  serving  as  bedsteads ; and  another,  a 
smaller  one,  in  which  the  landlord  slept,  with  his  nu- 
merous family  ; and  which,  at  the  same  time,  served  as 
kitchen,  the  smoke  finding  its  way  out  of  the  hut  as 
well  as  it  could,  through  the  door,  and  the  chinks  in  the 
side-walls.  Windows  there  were  none.  There  was 
an  opening  for  the  door,  which  served  as  an  entrance, 
but  there  was  no  door  to  it,  and  the  cold  night  air 
poured  in  unmercifully.  But  travelling  in  Ecuador  is 
a campaign  life.  For  whatever  enjoyment  the  scenery 

1 Af/uncate  is  the  alligator  pear,  this  being  the  English  name  by  which  it 
is  known  in  Jamaica.  In  Peru  it  is  called  palta. 


THE  AMERICAN  ALOE. 


259 


affords  to  the  traveller,  he  must  dearly  pay  with  vexa- 
tions and  hardships,  produced  by  the  total  want  of  all 
those  accommodations  and  comforts  to  which  civiliza- 
tion has  accustomed  us.  One  who  cannot  make  up  his 
mind  to  “ rough  it,”  had  better  not  visit  this  country. 

On  the  morning  of  the  25th,  a little  before  sunrise, 
I continued  my  journey.  I soon  reached  the  table- 
land extending  to  the  base  of  the  eastern  Andes.  The 
first  village  I arrived  at,  after  a ride  of  about  an  hour 
and  a half,  was  Cachhmango.  It  consists  of  two  rows 
of  Indian  huts,  built  of  earth  or  adobes  (sun-baked 
bricks),  the  region  of  the  reeds  being  fortunately  be- 
hind us.  At  the  same  time  the  mountains  seemed  to 
have  disappeared  from  beneath  our  feet,  and  removed 
far  away  into  the  distance.  The  sight  of  wheat  and 
barley  greeted  us,  instead  of  the  sugar-cane,  orange, 
and  aguacate.  It  is  wonderful  with  what  rapiditv  w< 
pass  in  these  highlands  from  one  climate  to  another. 
The  fields,  as  well  as  the  sides  of  the  roads,  are  inclosed 
by  long  hedges  of  cabulla  (American  aloe),  the  pointed 
blades  of  which,  in  many  a narrow  passage,  threaten 
the  eyes  and  face  of  the  unwary  traveller.  The  aloe 
is  one  of  the  most  important  and  useful  plants  of  the 
country.  So  manifold  are  the  useful  purposes  for  which 
it  is  employed,  and  so  frequently  is  it  found  in  the 
Ecuadorian  highlands,  that  I must  give  it  a better  in- 
troduction to  my  readers.  Maguey , or  cabulla , is  the 
“ Metl  ” of  the  Mexicans,  the  Maguey  de  Cocuyza  o!‘ 
the  inhabitants  of  Venezuela.  It  is  the  Agava  Amer- 
icana of  botanists,  and  the  American  aloe  of  plain 
English  parlance.  According  to  a vulgar  but  errone- 
ous idea,  it  flowers  only  once  in  a hundred  years.  In 
Mexico,  Pulque , the  national  beverage,  is  extracted 
from  it  by  incisions  made  in  the  stem.  In  Ecuador 


260  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


there  is  no  end  to  its  uses.  In  the  neighborhood  which 
I am  now  describing,  the  Indians  thatch  their  huts  with 
its  leaves.  The  leaves,  when  tapped,  yield  a large 
quantity  ot‘  syrup,  called  “ miel  de  cabulla .”  The 
fibrous  portions  of  the  same  organs  are  woven  into 
sacks  ( costales ),  of  which  large  quantities  are  manu- 
factured in  Ambato  and  the  neighborhood,  and  in 
Hatuntaqui  and  Ibarra.  From  the  same  fibre  ropes 
are  made,  and  a very  important  article  called  u alpar- 
gates ,”  a species  of  sandal  worn  by  the  common  people 
all  over  the  country.1  Those  who  travel  to  the  Napo, 
as  the  eastern  province  is  generally  called,  or  to  Es- 
meraldas  by  land,  or  through  other  mountainous  dis- 
tricts where  mule-paths  are  still  unknown,  must  wear 
alpargates , because  no  other  kind  of  boots  or  shoes 
would  last  them  longer  than  a day.  Alpargates , how- 
ever, are  strong,  light,  and  durable;  although  it  takes 
some  time  to  accustom  a civilized  foot  to  the  burning 
sensation  which  they  at  first  produce.  The  broad  leaves 
of  the  agave  are  used  in  schools  (of  the  poorer  classes) 
instead  of  paper,  to  teach  the  rudiments  of  writing. 
The  flower  stalks  constitute  a light  and  indestructible 
material,  of  which  ladders  are  made,  besides  being  ap- 
plied to  other  domestic  purposes.  The  flowers  boiled, 
with  the  addition  of  vinegar,  make  an  agreeable  pickle 
called  “ alcap arras.”  The  roofs  of  huts,  as  I have  just 
said,  are  sometimes  covered  with  the  leaves,  and  I have 

1 “ To  make  these  sandals,  the  fibre  is  first  formed  into  a braid  nearly 
half  an  inch  wide,  which  is  tightly  coiled  and  stitched  together  to  form  the 
sole.  A fore-part  is  then  woven  to  contain  the  point  of  the  foot,  with  merely 

a band  behind  to  < cure  the  sandal  to  the  heel The  pulp  of  the 

leaves  of  which  this  fibre  is  made,  is  a very  good  substitute  for  soap;  and 
the  porous  wood  of  the  stem,  when  dried,  forms  an  excellent  strap  for  sharp- 
ening cutting  instruments,  on  account  of  the  tine  grit  it  contains.”  — Notes 
on  Colombia , taken  in  the  years  1822  and  1823,  by  an  Officer  of  the  U.  IS. 
Army.  Philadelphia,  1827. 


TABACUNDO. 


261 


also  seen  the  side-walls  of  Indian  chozas  patched  up 
with  them.  The  common  people  use  the  leaves  as 
soap  to  wash  with.  In  some  districts,  where  great- 
scarcity  of  fuel  prevails,  the  poor  people  supply  with 
them  the  place  of  firewood,  for  which  they  are,  how- 
ever, but  a poor  and  smoky  substitute;  and  the  In- 
dians cut  oft'  the  spines,  and  use  them  in  the  place 
of  pins.1  Hedges,  in  the  Ecuadorian  highlands,  are 
scarcely  ever  any  thine;  else  than  living  fences  of  aloes 
or  lecher  os,  a tree  of  which  I shall  soon  have  occasion 
to  speak.  There  is  another  plant  which  greatly  resem- 
bles the  aloe,  it  is  the  Maguey  verde  (green  maguey), 
with  which  the  long  rows  of  cdbulla  are  not  only  fre- 
quently, but  almost  invariably  interspersed.  Its  color 
is  greener  and  lighter,  but  in  form  it  somewhat  resem- 
bles the  same,  although  it  belongs  to  a totally  different 
genus.  It.  is,  in  fact,  a species  of  Yucca , and  yields  a 
large  quantity  of  fibre,  used  for  domestic  purposes.2 

At  about  10  o’clock,  a.  m.,-  I reached  Tabacundo,  a 
considerable  village,  inhabited,  however,  only  by  gente 
del  jJaeblo  (common  people)  ; and  I have  already  ex- 
plained that  between  these  and  the  higher  classes  the 
lines  of  demarcation  are  strongly  drawn.  The  barriers 
which  divide  them  are  impassable.  In  a country  where 
governing  is  the  exclusive  province  and  privilege  of  the 
upper  ten,  if  not  of  certain  families  in  which  all  polit- 

1 From  the  long  leaves  of  this  plant,  by  bruising  and  beating,  a thick 
juice  is  expressed;  this  is  mixed  with  water,  boiled  and  kept  skimmed, 
until  reduced  to  the  consistence  of  honey;  it  is  then  fit  for  use.  In  cases 
of  cuts,  when  severe  and  dangerous,  if  applied,  it  cures  in  three  days,  and 
never  permits  gangrene  to  take  place,  l he  most  inveterate  ulcers  are  not 
known  to  resist  its  sanative  powers  more  than  fifteen  days.”  — Journal  of 
a Residence  and  Travel,  in  Colombia  during  the  years  1823  and  1824,  by  Cap- 
tain Charles  Stuart  Cochrane , of  the  Royal  Nary.  In  two  volumes;  Lon- 
don, 1825. 

2 From  Dr.  Jameson’s  manuscript  notes. 


262  TOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH— AMERICANS. 


ical  influence  seems  to  be  concentrated,  the  favor  of  the 
common  people  needs  not  be  courted.  It  is  true,  the 
common  man  has  a vote,  if  he  can  read  and  write ; hut 
very  little  does  he  care  for  voting,  and  very  few  oppor- 
tunities are  given  him  to  decide  any  thing  by  his  vote. 

At  Tabacundo  I stopped  for  breakfast  at  a house 
which  an  unorthographical  inscription  on  the  wall  an- 
nounced to  be  a cam  posada,  although  at  such  places 
almost  every  house  is  considered  to  be  a tambo.  The 
landlady  got  through  her  preparations  uncommonly 
quick.  Generally,  it  takes  them  a couple  of  hours  to 
prepare  the  most  indifferent  meal.  The  cause  of  this 
slowness  is  the  clumsiness  of  their  cooking  utensils  and 
fire-places,  if  a few  stones  piled  up  against  a few  smok- 
ing sticks  of  wood  can  be  called  a fire-place.  I was 
led  into  a large  room,  which  at  the  same  time  served 
as  a dining-room,  laundry,  tailor’s  shop,  gambling  saloon, 
and  bedroom.  The  breakfast  consisted,  as  usual,  of 
locro  de  quern  (a  potato  soup  with  cheese  and  agi) , fried 
eggs,  with  baked  plantain  slices  and  toasted  bread, 
some  meat,  and,  to  my  utter  astonishment,  chocolate, 
— a luxury  which  I had  not  expected  at  Tabacundo, 
and  which  placed  the  establishment,  however  modest 
in  its  appearance,  far  above  the  common  level  of  tam- 
bos.  When  I asked  the  landlady  what  my  bill  was, 
she  gave  me  the  very  common  and  always  unpleasant 
answer,  u Lo  que  V guste ,”  (u  what  you  please.”)  I 
could  not  induce  her  to  name  the  amount,  and  had  to 
give  her  what  I thought  would  be  fair. 

The  women  whom  I saw  at  Tabacundo  were  not 
handsome.  Their  faces  betrayed  more  or  less  their 
ruling  passion  — drink  — the  chief  and  almost  only 
amusement  of  the  common  people  of  the  country. 
These  women  can  swallow  fabulous  quantities  of  strong 


THE  ALTO  DE  CAJAS. 


263 


liquor,  and  are  passionately  fond  of  bacchanalian  orgies. 
Tabacundo  is  chiefly  an  agricultural  population,  but  I 
saw  many  weaving  looms  in  the  houses,  on  which 
coarse  cotton  and  woolen  goods  are  made.  The  num- 
ber of  the  inhabitants  is  estimated  at  two  thousand, 
which  I believe  to  be  overrated. 

After  having  proceeded  from  Tabacundo  in  a north- 
easterly direction  for  some  time,  I reached  the  north- 
western end  of  the  plain,  which  is  here  hemmed  in 
by  a prolongation  of  Mt.  Imbabura.  The  road  now 
suddenly  turns  to  the  west,  ascending  the  Alto  de  Ca- 
jas,  a ridge  by  which  the  folds  of  Mt.  Imbabura 
are  connected  with  the  opposite  mountain  range  of 
Mojanda.  This  time  our  ascent  led  through  rich  pas- 
tures, on  which  herds  of  cattle  and  sheep  were  grazing. 
The  meadows  and  mountains  on  the  sides  of  the  road 
were  treeless  again,  but  the  verdure  with  which  this 
alpine  region  was  covered  was  fresh  and  pleasing,  and 
the  slopes  were  dotted  with  clusters  of  Indian  huts, 
witli  their  quaint  pyramidal  roofs,  thatched  with  gray 
straw  or  dried  weeds.  Upon  reaching  the  summit  of 
the  Alto,  which  is  covered  with  a vegetation  of  shrubs 
and  wild  flowers,  such  as  generally  precede  the  dry 
grass  Qpaja)  of  the  paramo,  the  lake  of  San  Pablo 
lay  at  my  feet,  serenely  calm  in  the  valley  below.  Its 
shores  are  covered  with  haciendas,  fields,  and  Indian 
habitations  called  “ huasipongos ,”  and  rise  slowly  and 
gradually  to  the  mountains  in  the  rear.  On  the  right 
of  the  lake  is  the  village  of  San  Pablo,  covering  a con- 
siderable area  of  ground,  and  having  its  plaza,  like 
every  Spanish  village,  however  small  and  miserable  it 
may  be.  The  lake  is  encompassed  by  mountains,  but 
above  them  all  rises  the  beautiful  snow-clad  Cotacachi, 
forming  an  appropriate  background  to  this  most 


264  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


charming  scene.  Imbabura,  a volcano,  but  only  occa- 
sionally covered  with  snow,  rises  to  the  right  of  our 
position  ; the  gloomy  Mojanda,  with  its  horns  of  tra- 
chytic  rocks,  to  the  left.  The  view  which  I now  en- 
joyed was  different  fr.om  any  thing  I had  hitherto  seen 
in  Ecuador,  but,  nevertheless,  unmistakably  impressed 
upon  it  was  that  indescribable  air  of  sadness  and  mel- 
ancholy, that  stillness  and  death-like  repose,  which  are 
inseparable  from  a Quitonian  landscape.  The  houses 
are  without  chimneys,  from  which  a cheerful  cloud  of 
smoke  might  lustily  curl  up  into  the  air.  If  smoke 
can  be  seen  at  all,  it  lazily  and  timidly  clings  to  the 
roofs,  and  seems  incapable  of  separating  itself  from  the 
K cottage  from  which  it  issues.  No  grove,  no  forest,  re- 
lieves the  wandering  eye.  The  noises  of  railroads, 
saw-mills,  or  steam-boats  are  listened  for  in  vain.  All  is 
silence  below.  Not  a boat,  not  a sail,  not  even  a canoe, 
ruffles  the  waters  of  the  melancholy  lake  ; not  a coach, 
not  a cart  or  wagon,  enlivens  the  deserted  highways. 
The  cattle  slowly  moving  along  the  shores  or  on  the 
bills  are  the  only  evidence  of  life  the  scenery  presents. 
But  it  is  the  gloomy  life  of  the  brute  ; and  there  are 
no  vestiges  of  the  active,  struggling,  intelligent  life  of 
enterprising  man. 

The  lake  is  about  a league  and  a half  in  circumfer- 
ence ; its  waters  are  exceedingly  cold  ; its  depth  is 
very  great.  A small  species  of  fish  which  the  Span- 
iards call  u preTiadilla,”  and  the  Indians  u imba.”  is  to 
be  found  in  the  shallow  water  near  the  shore.  The 
Indians,  when  they  want  to  cross  from  one  side  to  the 
other,  construct  of  reeds,  which  grow  along  the  shore, 
a kind  of  balsa , on  which  they  ride  astraddle  up  to 
their  hips  in  water,  and  paddle  themselves  across.  But 
even  this  orimitive  svstem  of  navigation  is  but  little  in 


FEASTS  OF  ST.  JOHN. 


265 


use.  It  is  perhaps  less  troublesome  to  walk  around  the 
lake  than  to  construct  a balsa  of  reeds. 

My  descent  into  the  valley  was  soon  effected.  The 
road  leads  through  the  village  of  San  Pablo,  which  I 
found  in  a great  state  of  excitement  on  account  of  the 
festivals  of  San  Juan,  which  in  this  province  are  always 
celebrated  with  great  pomp  and  enthusiasm.  I'or  the 
Indians  especially,  this  is  a time  of  great  rejoicing.  It 
is  their  happiest  week  in  the  year.  What  St.  John 
has  done  to  befriend  the  poor  Indians  more  than  any 
other  of  his  heavenly  colleagues,  I am  unable  to  say. 
The  truth  is,  probably,  that  they  merely  want  a pretext 
for  following  their  ancient  custom  of  carousing  and 
dancing  to  their  hearts’  content,  once  or  twice  a year. 
I had  heard  so  much  of  the  strange  and  curious  man- 
ner  in  which  the  Indians  of  Otabalo,  Cotacachi,  Peguchi, 
Hatuntaqui,  etc.,  celebrate  the  feast  of  St.  John,  that  I 
had  hastened  my  trip  to  the  province  of  Imbabura  in 
order  to  be  in  time  to  see  the  sights. 

Being  tired,  rider  as  well  as  horse,  I wanted  to  ar- 
rive at  a resting-place  as  soon  as  possible,  and  therefore 
did  not  stop  to  see  that  day’s  performances.  Neverthe- 
less, I shall  note  what  I saw  while  riding  through  the 
village.  In  one  of  the  streets  I met  a group  of  men  in 
strange  array.  Some  of  them  had  crowns  of  high 
feathers  on  their  heads,  after  the  ancient  Indian  fash- 
ion. They  were  clad  in  long  robes,  with  handker- 
chiefs, or  a kind  of  apron  (our  regular  aprons  are 
never  worn  in  this  country),  tied  to  their  shoulders 
and  floating  down  their  backs.  They  were  faced  bv 
an  equal  number  of  men  disguised  as  females,  and  gor- 
geously attired.  The  whole  company  held  wooden 
arches  in  their  hands,  covered  over  with  ribbons,  ana 
ornamented  with  flowers.  A very  crude  sort  of  violins 


266  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


and  guitars  constituted  the  orchestra,  which  accom- 
panied them.  They  went  through  a sort  of  contra- 
dance,  consisting  of  a variety  of  figures.  They  first 
danced  in  the  streets,  and  then  in  the  Plaza..  The 
I whole  week  of  San  Juan  is  dedicated  to  amusements 
and  revelry.  The  Indians  commence  their  perform- 
ances early  in  the  morning,  and  hardly  rest  at  night. 
Three  days  are  devoted  to  the  real  feasts  and  public 
amusements  ; the  remainder  to  private  revelry.  Some- 
times a few  days  of  bull-fighting,  accompanied  by  end- 
1 less  drunken  sprees,  are  added  to  the  programme.  The 
Indians  of  .the  village  through  which  I now  passed,  as 
well  as  those  of  the  neighborhood,  have  a curious  mode 
of  prolonging  their  orgies.  When  they  see  a passer-by, 
they  hail  him,  and  offer  him  a cup  of  rum.  If  he  takes 
it,  it  is  understood  that  he  must  give  them  a medio 
(half  a real),  if  he  does  not  want  to  arouse  their  in- 
dignation, and  to  expose  himself  to  their  gibes  and 
sneers.  If  he  gives  them  money,  they  say,  “ Dios  se 
lo  pague,  nirio  !”  or,  “ Dios  se  lo  jiague,  mi  amo  ! ” (“  God 
pay  you  for  it,  master ! ”)  and  immediately  invest  it  in 
strong  drink.  Humble  and  submissive  as  they  may  be 
all  the  year  round,  on  these  occasions  they  lose  their 
natural  timidity,  and  beg  with  an  importunity  which  it 
is  difficult  to  shake  off. 

I left  the  dansantes  (dancing  party),  and  crossing 
the  Plaza,  pursued  my  way,  which  lay  through  the 
whole  length  of  the  village.  In  the  outskirts  I saw 
groups  of  Indians  amusing  themselves  in  small  squads. 
They  wrere  most  ludicrously  attired.  They  danced 
continually,  and  only  stopped  to  drink.  Even  those 
who  played  their  poor  flutes  danced  along,  turning 
slowdy  around,  boAving  to  one  side,  and  stamping  on  the 
ground  to  keep  time,  without-  end.  Others  accompa- 


COUNTRY  RESIDENCE. 


267 


nied  the  performance  with  monotonous,  pitiable  songs. 
Others  again  were  dancing  alone,  all  by  themselves,  on 
the  highway.  It  was  extremely  ludicrous  to  see  a sol- 
itary Indian  on  the  road,  in  his  senseless  masquerade, 
sing  and  dance  without  companions  to  see  or  accom- 
pany him. 

I soon  had  the  village  of  San  Pablo  behind  me,  and 

passing  along  the  northern  shore  of  the  lake,  left  that 

behind  me  also.  A rumipamba  (field  of  stones),  such 

as  are  almost  always  found  in  the  neighborhood  of 

Quitonian  volcanoes,  reached  down  the  hill-slope  to  the 

northwestern  end  of  the  lake.  The  -waters  of  the  lake 

find  their  outlet  through  a river  at  this  place,  called  the 

Peguchi,  which,  forming  a handsome  cascade  a few 

squares  from  the  woolen  factory  of  the  same  name, 

throws  itself  down  into  the  green  valley  of  Otabalo, 

which  it  irrigates.  Uniting  itself  with  the  river  Mo- 

janda,  it  forms  the  Rio  Blanco,  which  further  down, 

after  its  union  with  the  Tauhando,  is  called  the  Ambi, 

and  disembogues  into  the  Chota  or  Mira. 

© 

Peguchi  is  the  name  of  the  factory  and  beautiful 
country  residence  of  Don  Manuel  Jijon,  one  of  the 
most  pleasant  and  enterprising  gentlemen  in  the  Re- 
public. At  this  place,  where  I was  fully  undisturbed 
and  independent,  with  a beautiful  garden  and  shade- 
trees  before  my  window  (the  former  a sight  so  rare 
and  welcome  in  this  country),  I proposed  to  establish 
my  head-quarters  for  a few  days,  to  facilitate  mv  visits 
to  the  most  important  points  of  the  neighborhood.  It 
must  always  he  borne  in  mind  that  in  a country  where 
there  are  no  inns  or  taverns,  and  scarcely  any  accom- 
modations for  the  traveller,  it  is  of  the  highest  impor- 
tance to  one  who  wishes  to  study  and  to  observe,  to  he 
near  a civilized  place,  upon  which  he  may  easily  fall 


268  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH- AMERICANS. 


back  for  a friendly  roof  and  a clean  covered  room-  — 
a place  where  he  may  find  respite  from  the  fleas  and 
dirt  of  tawbos  and  posadas. 

In  the  factory  of  Peguchi  coarse  woolen  goods  are 
made,  such  as  bayetas  for  ponchos,  jergas  for  the  In- 
dians, and  shawls  for  their  women  (these  shawls  are 
dyed  red,  yellow,  blue  or  brown,  but  the  red  color  is 
most  in  demand)  ; cloth  for  coats,  vests,  pantaloons, 
carpets,  etc.  These  goods  are  exported  chiefly  to  New 
Granada,  as  far  as  Pasto  and  Popayan  in  the  interior, 
and  Barbacoas  on  the  coast.  The  laborers  employed 
in  the  factory  are  almost  all  Indians.  They  are  con- 
certados , or  peonez.  The  factory  yields  about  thirty 
pieces  of  cloth  per  month,  which  in  1868  was  sold  at 
two  dollars  a yard,  double-width. 

The  great  Indian  festivals  of  San  Juan  had  already 
been  going  on  for  two  days  when  I arrived.  On  the 
26th  of  June,  early  in  the  forenoon,  I rode  over  to  the 
ground  where  the  dances  take  place.  The  ground  to 
which  I refer  is  nearly  opposite  Peguchi,  on  the  other 
side  of  the  beautiful  valley  of  Otabalo.  This  latter 
is  the  name  of  a very  ancient  town,  which  claims  to 
be  the  second  in  the  province.  It  has  two  well-built 
churches,  and  a large  plaza.,  lined  with  two-story 
houses  : but  the  great  mass  of  the  buildings  of  which 
the  town  consists,  have  but  one  floor.  There  are 
mineral  springs  in  the  outskirts  and  immediate  neigh- 
borhood. The  chapel  of  San  Juan,  around  which  the 
Indians  celebrated  their  feast,  lies  at  a short  distance, 
about  half  a mile  west  of  Otabalo. 

It  was  a pleasant,  level  greensward  on  one  of  the 
lower  platforms  of  the  mountains  on  the  south  side  of 
the  valley.  A most  picturesque  view  presented  itself 
from  this  elevation.  Almost  opposite  to  the  fair-ground 


A NOVEL  SCENE. 


269 


rose  Mt.  Imbabura  in  .its  lofty  majesty.  To  the  right, 
the  town  of  Otabalo  ; to  the  left,  majestic  Cotacaohi, 
with  its  snowy  peaks  ; to  our  rear,  the  towering  Cor- 
dillera, and  at  our  feet  the  fertile  plain,  dotted  with 
friendly  villas  and  haciendas,  and  now  and  then  inter- 
rupted by  isolated  hills,  covered  with  corn  fields  and 
Indian  huasipongos.  But  far  more  picturesque  and 
surprising  was  the  view  which  the  ground  itself  pre- 
sented. For  a moment  I was  overcome  with  the 
novelty  of  the  scene,  to  which  no  description  will  be 
able  to  do  justice.  At  a distance,  one  would  have 
supposed  that  an  English  army  had  encamped  on  the 
ground,  for  hundreds  of  Indian  women,  in  their  favor- 
ite red  shawls,  sat  in  long*  rows  on  the  greensward,  on 
which  the  feast  took  place,  and  on  the  rising  ground 
at  its  western  extremity.  On  this  latter  acclivity 
stood  the  chapel  of  San  Juan,  which  is  now  in  ruins, 
destroyed  by  the  great  earthquake  of  1859.  Weeds, 
shrubs,  and  wild  flowers  had  taken  possession  of  the 
interior  of  the  temple,  and  a rank  but  interesting 
vegetation  had  overgrown  its  roofless  walls.  At  the 
foot  of  these  ruins  the  slope  was  covered  with  dense 
groups  of  Indian  women,  and  rows  of  them  were 
ranged  along  the  sides  of  the  dancing  place  below. 
They  all  dress  after  the#  same  fashion  ; but  the  leading 
feature  of  their  dress  is  the  coarse  woolen  shawl  with 
which  they  cover  their  breast  and  shoulders.  This 
shawl,  as  I have  already  said,  is  almost  always  red. 
You  may  judge  of  the  impression  produced  by  six  or 
seven  hundred  red-shawled  women,  sitting*  in  a large 
semicircle  around  almost  as  many  Indian  men,  in  all 
sorts  of  masquerades,  and  forming  a striking  contrast 
to  the  ruins  above,  and  the  melancholy  verdure  in  the 
valley  below. 


270  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


While  the  women  were  thus,  ranged  about  as  spec- 
tators, and  enjoying  themselves  with  food  and  drink, 
the  men  went  through  the  dances,  of  which  the  fes- 
tival principally  consists.  The  Indian  wife  accom- 
panies her  liege  lord  to  the  festive  scene,  but  her  prov- 
ince is  not  the  dance.  Her  business  is  to  watch  the 
movements  of  her  husband,  and  to  take  care  of  him 
as  soon  as  he  gets  unmanageably  or  helplessly  drunk. 
Faithfully  to  comply  with  this  duty  is  considered 
highly  honorable  to  a wife.  As  soon  as  her  spouse 
commences  to  be  overpowered  by  the  immense  quan- 
tities of  rum  or  chicha  which  he  consumes,  she  is  at  his 
side,  and  remains  with  him.  A woman  who  would 
fail  to  comply  with  this  most  important  of  her  marital 
duties  on  a great  occasion  like  this,  would  be  despised 
by  the  whole  Indian  community,  if  not  abandoned  by 
her  own  husband.  I do  not  propose  to  say  that  she 
does  not  get  drunk  too;  but  never  so  drunk  as  to  be- 
come unable  to  manage  him.  She  clings  to  him  with 
the  utmost  tenacity.  She  holds  him  back  and  rolls 
him  off  when  his  intoxication  assumes  a belligerous 
character ; she  prevents  him  from  committing  excess- 
es ; she  makes  him  sleep  on  her  kp,  and  finally  leads 
him  to  his  home. 

Two  loner  rows  of  booths  running  to  the  foot  of  the 
acclivity  on  which  the  old  chapel  stood,  from  the  en- 
trance of  the  fair-ground,  lined  it  on  the  north  and 
south.  In  the  booths  on  the  left  side  of  the  entrance 
only  liquors  and  candies  were  sold.  The  stock  offered 
for  sale  consisted  of  the  common  rum  of  the  country 
(aguardiente),  distilled  from  the  sugar-cane  of  the 
province,  and  preserved  in  hides  ; of  anisadas  (rum 
seasoned  with  anise-seed),  and  of  mistelas  (sweetened 
liquors).  The  booths  were  constructed  of  poles  driven 


THE  COOK-SHOPS. 


27 1 


into  the  ground,  with  staves  nailed  to  them  trans- 
versely. Then’  tops  and  sides  were  covered  with 
dried  hides.  In  the  liquor  booths  I saw  spectators  be- 
longing to  the  half-white  or  cholo  rabble,  huddled  to- 
gether  on  the  ground,  men  and  women  promiscuously, 
sleeping  in  one  another’s  laps,  beastly  drunk.  In  the 
booths  on  the  right  hand  of  the  entrance,  meals  were 
prepared.  They  were  the  cook-shops,  and  agi  de  cuij , 
agi  de  queso , agi  de  lobrillo , locro,  cariucho , and  other 
national  dishes,  were  prepared  for  those  who  had 
money  to  pay  for  them.  As  potatoes  form  the  prin- 
cipal ingredient  of  all  these  dishes,  but  very  little 
money  was  required.  No  crockery  was  used.  The 
eatables  ( comida ) were  filled  from  the  pots  (olios')  into 
calabashes.  Ladles  were  generally  wanting,  smaller 
calabashes  supplying  their  places.  Only  wooden  spoons 
were  used.  At  a distance  of  a few  feet  from  the  cook- 
shops,  and  in  front  of  them,  was  another  row  of  sales- 
women, but  without  booths.  They  were  the  fruteras , 
who,  squatting  on  the  ground,  sold  fruit,  which  in  this 
neighborhood  is  very  cheap.  Around  these  three 
rows  of  stands  crowds  were  continually  thronging,  as 
the  eating  and  drinking  went  on  incessantly.  Hun- 
dreds of  besotted  Indians,  simpering  and  reeling,  and 
supported  by  their  faithful  wives,  were  drinking  to  the 
health  of  their  compadres  and  commadres,  now  em- 
bracing and  hugging  one  another,  now  bickering  and 
tearing  about,  to  their  hearts’  content.  Others  were 
singing,  with  hoarse  drunken  voices,  to  the  tune  of  the 
harp  or  guitar,  or  even  without  accompaniment,  while 
still  others  lay  stretched  out  on  the  ground,  fast  asleep. 
Yet  they  were  all  harmless  and  inoffensive,  and  com- 
mitted no  excesses  whatever. 

The  Indian  men  were  most  quaintly  attired.  Of 


272  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


course,  all  of  them  went  barefoot,  men  as  well  as 
women.  Some  of  the  dancers  had  curious  caps  on, 
meant  to  represent  certain  incomprehensible  charac- 
ters. Others  wore  straw  hats  of  ludicrous  dimensions. 
But  most  of  them  wore  the  gray  woolen  hats,  which 
are  very  common  among  the  Indians  of  the  interior, 
where  they  are  made.  Tied  around  their  chins,  and 
over  their  hats,  they  almost  universally  wore  a cotton 
handkerchief  of  lively  colors,  which  they  consider  a 
great  ornament  on  such  occasions.  Some  of  them 
wore  it  hanging  down  over  their  faces  like  a vail: 
others  had  it  floating  over  their  neck  and  shoulders. 
Most  of  the  participators  wore  white  goat-skin  trou- 
sers ( zamarros ),  such  as  I had  already  noticed  at 
San  Pablo.  Their  light-colored  ponchos,  expressly 
purchased  for  the  occasion,  or  recently  washed,  were 
yet  clean  ; and  in  connection  with  the  red  shawls  of 
the  women,  which  I have  already  described,  gave  a 
most  lively  appearance  to  the  scene.  It  is  very  cus- 
tomary among  the  aborigines  to  hire  dress-coats  or 
hats,  or  other  incongruous  articles  of  costume,  for  the 
three  days  of  the  feast.  All  sorts  of  coats  were  rep- 
resented on  the  ground.  Some  wore  black  dress- 
coats,  others  frock-coats,  which  formed  a most  ludi- 
crous contrast  to  their  bare  feet  and  goat-skin  trousers. 
One  wore  a military  coat ; another  a red  coat  with 
great  yellow  buttons.  Jackets,  too,  of  various  sizes 
and  colors,  were  worn  in  great  numbers.  Others  ap- 
peared in  light  red  shirts,  which  they  wore  over  their 
trousers.  Some  had  their  faces  painted  with  an  ugly 
brown-red  color ; others  were  painted  black  to  repre- 
sent negroes,  which  seems  to  be  a favorite  mummery 
among  the  Indians.  In  short,  it  was  the  queerest  mixt- 
ure of  incoherent  and  detached  articles  of  costume  I 


MUSICAL  INSTRUMENTS. 


273 


ever  saw.  Persons  who  have  offended  an  Indian,  are 
very  frequently  mimicked  by  the  injured  party  on 
such  occasions  : and  it  is  only  to  be  regretted  that  be- 
sides the  unsophisticated  mimicker  himself  and  a few 
of  his  initiated  friends,  nobody  will  suspect  or  be  able 
to  understand  the  object  of  his  disguise.  I once  heard 
of  a poor  stupid  Indian  who,  having  been  struck  by 
a soldier,  threatened  him  with  his  revenge.  “ Just 
wait,”  he  said,  “ on  San  Juan  I shall  mimic  you  ! ” 
(“ Aguardate,  en  San  Juan  te  he  de  remedar  ! ”)  Poor, 
childish,  down-trodden  race  ! 

Innumerable  were  the  musical  instruments  on  the 
ground.  The  most  common  of  all  was  the  rondador, 
a most  primitive  instrument,  consisting  of  a number 
of  reeds  shortening  gradually  toward  one  end,  such  as 
Pan,  the  god  of  the  shepherds,  is  represented  with. 
This  instrument  is  a great  favorite  with  the  Indian. 
It  accompanies  the  herdsman  as  well  as  the  arriero, 
and  simple,  few,  and  melancholy,  are  the  tunes  it 
yields.  Flutes  and  violins,  such  as  we  would  give  to 
our  little  boys,  I saw  in  great  numbers.  Others  had 
guitars  of  a very  common  and  indifferent  make.  There 
were  also  several  harps  and  one  or  two  horns,  which 
sounded  .like  the  trumpets  of  our  American  firemen. 
I saw  no  drums,  which,  however,  may  have  been  acci- 
dental. With  the  Indians  of  Quito  the  drum  is  highly 
popular.  With  a boy’s  drum  and  fife  they  can  amuse 
themselves  for  days,  in  their  monotonous,  melancholy 
way.  The  instruments  just  described  were  not  united 
in  an  orchestra,  but  each  of  the  many  different  parties 
who  marched  up  and  down  or  around  the  grounds,  had 
at  least  two  or  three  of  them.  They  played  but  one 
solitary  tune.  It  was  the  same  from  morning  to  night, 
without  variation  or  intermission. 


274  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


Most  of  the  men  I saw  on  the  ground  had  very  long 
and  thick  hair.  It  was  like  the  hair  of  all  the  Ecua- 
dorian Indians,  - — of  a deep  black  color,  and  very 
coarse  and  smooth.  The  Indians  of  Otabalo,  Hatun- 
taqui,  Cotacachi,  etc.,  look  upon  it  as  a great  orna- 
ment, and  never  cut  it.  With  some  of  them  it  reached 
down  to  their  waists.  They  either  wore  it  loose,  or 
had  one  little  thin  braid  twisted  on  top  of  it.  The 
men  wore  no  jewelry.  The  women,  however,  are 
very  fond  of  bracelets  and  collars  of  red  beads,  to 
some  of  which  numbers  of  reals  or  half  reals  were 
suspended. 

Of  their  dances,  in  which  they  are  untiring,  I 
noticed  three  different  figures.  About  twelve  or 
fifteen  dancers,  more  or  less,  form  a procession,  some- 
Avliat  irregular,  with  little  boys  among  them,  in  fancy 
dresses  like  their  seniors,  and  march  up  and  down  the 
fair-ground  to  its  whole  length,  wheeling  around  at 
one  end  to  return  to  the  other.  While  marching, 
some  of  them  will  play  their  crude  flutes  or  guitars. 
Even  harps  will  be  carried  along  in  the  procession, 
with  their  bottoms  resting  on  the  back  of  a little  boy, 
while  the  musician  harps  away  at  the  strings,  and  one 
of  his  companions  beats  the  time  on  the  side  of  the  in- 
strument. The  marchers  trip  to  the  tune  of  the  music, 
making  one  long  and  two  short  steps.  In  fact,  this 
peculiar  step,  with  which  they  march  and  counter- 
march, and  wheel  about,  constitutes  the  whole  of  the 
dance.  From  time  to  time  they  will  form  a circle 
with  one  or  two  of  the  musicians  in  the  centre,  and 
then  they  will  march  around  them,  always  with  the 
step  just  described,  until  the  leader  of  the  party  com- 
mands uJ)amos  una  vuelta!  Damos  una  vuelta  /” 
when  they  all  turn  about  and  trip  away  in  the  oppo- 


GAMBLING  ESTABLISHMENTS. 


275 


site  direction  of  the  same  circle.  This  figure  is  re- 
peated until  they  get  tired  of  it,  and  form  a proces- 
sion again.  The  third  figure  which  I observed  is 
one  of  less  activity.  The  members  of  the  party  cluster 
around  one  another,  and  then  each  man  turns  round, 
beating  time  with  his  feet,  in  slow  but  continuous  ro- 
tation.  The  musicians  do  the  same,  marking  time 
with  their  heads  and  the  upper  part  of  their  bodies. 
The  musicians  are  amateurs,  and  enjoy  the  double 
pleasure  of  playing  and  dancing.  While  engaged  in 
the  dance  the  faces  of  the  participants  will  be  as  seri- 
ous and  dignified  as  if  they  were  performing  a task 
of  awful  solemnity.  Their  countenances,  as  well  as 
their  indefatigable  perseverance,  indicate  that  they  are 
pleased,  but  no  smile  betrays  it.  They  never  get 
wildly  excited,  they  quicken  their  step  but  very  sel- 
dom ; they  never  run  or  romp,  however  drunk  they 
may  be.  As  long  as  they  are  in  the  dance  they  do 
as  their  fellows  do.  Sometimes  the  leader  of  the 
party,  or  one  of  his  followers,  utters  a deep,  guttural, 
and  almost  ghastly  laugh,  but  this  i^  a part  of  the  per- 
formance, and  sounds  strained  and  unnatural.  Some- 
times, they  join  in  a hearty  cheer  ; but  it  is  only  done 
at  the  command  of  the  leader.  Each  party  seems  to 
have  its  leader.  The  dancers  only  stop  to  eat  and 
to  drink,  and  then  fall  into  the  line  of  procession 
again. 

Behind  the  booths  to  the  right  of  the  entrance  sev- 
eral gambling  establishments  were  kept  up,  patronized, 
to  the  honor  of  the  Indians  it  must  be  said,  exclusively 
by  white  persons  of  the  lower  classes,  and  cholos. 
One  was  a rueda  de  fortuna  (wheel  of  fortune),  con- 
sisting of  a long  iron  needle,  turning  round  on  a pivot, 
)ver  a board  on  which  numbers  are  painted,  and  set 


276  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


in  motion  by  a jerk.  The  other  was  a game  well 
known  to  our  children.  It  consisted  of  a round  board 
with  little  holes,  and  numbers  in  them.  A ball  run- 
ning into  one  of  the  holes  from  out  of  a winding;  cliim- 
ney,  decides  the  victory.  This  game  is  called  cachito. 
But  another  game,  which  attracted  the  greatest  number 
of  participants  and  spectators,  and  which  they  called 
bolichi , was  something  new  to  me.  It  consisted  of  a 
large  round  pit  dug  in  the  ground,  about  forty  feet 
in  circumference  and  twelve  in  diameter,  in  the  shape 
of  the  inside  of  the  lower  half  of  a hollow  globe.  Into 
this  pit  the  player  throws  an  even  number  of  little 
wooden  balls.  They  roll  to  the  bottom,  where  there 
are  two  small  receptacles,  the  larger  one  of  a round 
form,  the  smaller  one,  an  oblong  square.  If  the  num- 
ber of  balls  that  run  into  the  latter  is  even,  or  if  they 
all  run  into  the  round  hole,  the  player  wins  ; if  not, 
those  who  bet  against  him.  Most  of  the  spectators 
join  in  the  bets.  Even  women  and  little  boys  throw 
down  their  reals,  carried  away  by  the  excitement  of 
the  game.  The  pit  is  covered  with  a shed,  to  protect 
the  company  from  sun  and  rain. 

While  going  over  the  ground,  I was  again  struck  by 
the  repulsive  ugliness  of  the  Indian  women.  Whether 
it  is  their  habit  of  beastl}r  drinking  that  produces  this 
ugliness,  or  the  hard  work  which  they  are  compelled 
to  perform,  I am  unable  to  say.  There  is  a general 
belief  at  Quito  that  the  Indians  of  Otabalo,  and  es- 
pecially the  women,  are  handsomer,  and  cleaner  than 
those  of  Pichincha,  Latacunga,  etc.,  but  I have  been 
unable  to  discover  the  slightest  foundation  for  such  an 
opinion.  It  is  the  same  national  type,  and  the  same 
Agly,  stupid,  simpering  look  that  distinguish  them  all. 
As  far  as  cleanliness  is  concerned,  the  difference,  if  it 


THE  CHAPEL  OF  MONSERATE. 


277 


2xists,  is  imperceptible  to  a foreign  eye.  The  only 
thing  in  which  the  Otabalo  Indian  excels  is  his  long 
hair,  which,  of  course,  he  never  cuts,  and,  I may  add, 
but  very  seldom  combs. 

On  my  return  from  the  festive  grounds  to  Peguchi, 
I passed  the  chapel  of  Monserate,  where  another  In- 
dian feast  was  going  on.  This  chapel,  too,  was  in 
ruins,  having  been  destroyed  by  the  earthquake  of 
1859  ; and  the  rule  outside  of  Quito  seems  to  be  that 
if  a building  once  tumbles  down,  it  is  not  to  be  built 
up  again.  Ruins,  as  I have  already  said,  are  a char- 
acteristic feature  of  Spanish- American  civilization. 

- The  chapel  of  Monserate  is  about  half-way  between 
Otabalo  and  Peguchi.  It  is  at  the  foot  of  that  almost 
circular  mountain  chain  which  seams  the  pleasant  and 
friendly  plain  of  Otabalo.  As  the  Indians  who  had 
assembled  to  celebrate  their  San  Juan  on  this  spot  be- 
longed to  the  immediate  neighborhood  only,  their  num- 
her  was  but  small.  One  fellow,  with  his  face  painted 
black  to  represent  a negro,  acted  the  part  of  a clown, 
and  by  his  pranks  and  capers  imparted  life  to  the 
scene.  His  companions,  too,  seemed  to  be  much 
gayer  and  livelier  than  those  I had  just  left.  As  I 
distributed  some  money  among  them,  the  arrival  of 
our  party  was  greeted  with  great  rejoicing,  and  the 
Indians  hastened  to  go  through  their  whole  programme 
for  our  especial  benefit.  They  had  a wooden  image  of 
St.  John  with  them,  which  stood  on  a portable  plat- 
form, and  was  nicely  dressed  and  bedecked  with  tinsel 
and  finery.  As  soon  as  the  dance  commenced,  two  of 
the  men  took  the  apostle  on  their  shoulders,  and  made 
him  join  in  the  dance,  passing  through  all  its  figures 
And  variations.  Even  in  the  circle-dance  the  saint 
merrily  participated  ; and  when  the  word  was  given  to 


278  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


wheel  about  (damos  una  vuelta),  his  carriers,  who  could 
not  turn  round  with  their  load  without  breaking  up 
the  circle,  danced  backwards.  What  a queer  spectacle 
it  was ! These  dances  were  the  principal  enjoyment 
of  the  Indians  under  their  heathen  Incas  and  Scyris. 
The  Spanish  conquerors,  seeing  no  reason  for  suppress- 
ing them,  accommodated  them  to  Christian  instead  of 
pagan  holidays.  And  now  we  see  the  Indians,  in  their 
-quaint  mummeries,  and  covered  all  over  with  floating 
handkerchiefs,  dance  the  same  ^dances  around  the 
Christian  cross  that  they  formerly  danced  in  honor  of 
the  sun,  the  moon,  or  Pachacamac ; and  in  the  midst 
of  their  pagan  revelry,  carried  in  the  same  manner  in 
which  formerly  some  old  Peruvian  high-priest  or  idol 
was  carried,  hops  about  the  gayly  dressed  wooden 
image  of  the  Catholic  saint.  The  ceremonies  have 
remained  the  same  ; the  ignorance  and  superstition  of 
the  Indians  have  remained  the  same ; it  is  only  the 
name  of  the  idol  that  has  changed.  Formerly  it  was 
called  Pachacamac,  now  it  is  called  St.  John. 

But  the  dancing  saint  was  not  the  only  mixture  of 
Catholicism  and  heathenism.  There  were  sacrifices, 
too,  live  sacrifices  of  cocks  and  other  birds,  because 
it  is  believed  by  the  Indians  that  the  blood  of  the 
victim  is  a pleasant  offering  to  the  Christianized  Pacha- 
camac. This  barbarous  custom,  which  f shall  now 
describe,  is  called  “Arvcincar  los  gallos .”  A rope  was 
tied  to  a tree  on  one  side,  and  run  through  a pole  driven 
into  the  earth  on  the  other.  To  this  rope,  the  end  of 
which  remained  in  the  hands  of  some  of  the  company, 
a live  cock  was  tied  by  his  feet,  and  tossed  up  and  down 
by  those  who  held  the  rope,  while  a number  of  others 
performed  a circle  dance  under  him.  These  latter 
finally  seized  the  poor  animal,  one  of  the  dancers  after 


SACRIFICES  OF  BIRDS. 


279 


the  other,  and  plucked  off  his  feathers,  throwing  them 
into  the  crowd.  It  is  a barbarous,  horrible  sight,  to 
behold  the  agony  of  the  poor,  helpless  bird.  After 
continuing  the  dance  a little  longer,  they  seized  the 
victim  again,  one  by  the  leg,  another  by  the  head,  oth- 
ers taking  the  wings,  and  unmercifully  tore  him  asun- 
der. And  now  another  senseless  part  of  the  perform- 
ance begins.  Those  who  have  succeeded  in.  getting 
hold  of  a part  of  the  animal,  make  a general  attack  on 
their  friends,  striking  them  with  the  bloodv  remains  in 
the  face,  over  the  head,  on  the  neck,  etc.,  without 
minding  the  clean  handkerchiefs  and  ponchos  with 
which  they  have  ornamented  their  dress,  or  the  fancy 
articles  of  costume  expressly  hired  for  the  occasion. 
The  others  in  their  turn,  attempt  to  snatch  the  pieces 
of  the  sacrificed  bird  from  the  hands  of  their  assailants, 
and  so  a general  scuffle  follows,  which,  although  carried 
on  amid  great  laughter  and  shouting,  very  frequently 
leads  to  serious  blows.  Two  cocks  were  thus  sacrificed 
in  my  presence,  and  as  no  greater  supply  was  at  hand, 
the  boys  hung  up  little  birds,  several  at  a time,  and 
disposed  of  them  in  the  same  manner.  During  the 
main  festival  in  front  of  the  chapel  of  San  Juan,  twelve 
cocks  were  sacrificed  that  day,  as  I was  afterwards  in- 
formed. 

I returned  to  Peguchi  at  about  five  o’clock  in  the 
afternoon.  There  I learned  from  the  director  of  the 
factory  and  haciendas  of  Mr.  Jijon  that  at  Cayambi,  a 
village  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain  of  the  same  name, 
and  belonging  to  the  neighboring  province  of  Pichin- 
cha,  the  great  feasts  of  San  Juan  and  San  Pedro  would 
begin  on  the  following  Sunday,  and  continue  for  sev- 
eral days.  On  the  first  day  the  celebrated  contra- 
dances  of  the  “ San  Juanes  ” were  to  take  place,  — a 


280  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


spectacle  given  by  two  or  four  dozen  whites  and  cholos, 
one  half  of  them  in  female  dresses,  and  all  of  them 
in  fancy  costumes.  On  the  second  day  the  Indian 
dances  would  take  place,  and  end,  as  they  always  did, 
in  great  and  serious  pitched  battles  between  the  Indians 
of  the  different  haciendas,  — the  Indians  of  the  neigh- 
borhood of  Cayambi  being  much  more  pugnacious  and 
violent. than  their  countrymen  in  general.  The  festival 
was  to  conclude  with  bull-teasings,  the  interest  of  which 
was  said  to  be  considerably  enhanced  by  the  ferocity 
of  the  tor  os  (bulls)  brought  down  from  the  paramos 
These  announcements  promised  a rich  field  of  obser- 
vation ; and  on  the  28th  of  June,  1863,  at  about  eight 
o’clock  in  the  morning,  I started  from  Peguchi,  which 
is  about  five  leagues  from  Cayambi.  I again  passed  by 
the  lake  of  San  Pablo,  and  rode  through  the  village  of 
that  name.  I reascended  the  heights  of  Cajas  from 
which  I had  come  down  a few  days  ago,  and  descend- 
ing on  the  other  side  into  the  fertile  plain  of  Taba- 
cundo,  intersected  in  the  direction  of  my  destination 
by  several  streams,  — one  of  which,  the  San  Jose  de 
Cayambi,  is  exceedingly  noisy  and  rapid,  — I reached 
the  village  of  Cayambi  at  about  twelve  o'clock  me- 
ridian. 

Mt.  Cayambi,  from  which  the  village  derives  its 
name,  is  one* of  the  highest  mountains  in  the  world, 
and  the  second  highest  in  Ecuador.  Its  majestic  dome, 
covered  with  a robe  of  perpetual  snow,  rises  to  a height 
of  19,813  feet.  The  village  is  9724  feet  above  the 
level  of  the  sea.  Humboldt  pronounces^he  mountain 
to  be  one  of  the  most  beautiful  he  saw  ; and  in  fact 
there  is  no  sight  more  imposing  than  its  masses  of 
snow  and  ice  glowing  with  crimson  splendor  in  the  rays 
of  the  setting  sun.  As  Cayambi,  in  clear  weather,  can 


VILLAGE  OF  CAYAMBI. 


281* 


be  seen  from  Quito,  I frequently  went  to  see  it.  It 
shines  forth  like  a fairy  dome  as  long  as  the  sun’s 
farewell  rays  are  reflected  upon  it.  No  mortal  painter’s 
brush  could  do  justice  to  the  brilliancy  of  its  prismatic 
tints.  But  as  soon  as  the  sun  begins  to  hide  his  face 
behind  the  western  Cordillera,  the  lower  buttresses  of 
the  mountain  assume  a pure  white  color,  leaving  only 
the  higher  peaks  in  all  the  splendor  and  brilliancy  of 
a short  but  enchanting  refulgence,  which  is  followed 
by  the  pure  whiteness  of  death.  Like  a gigantic  ghost, 
shrouded  in  sepulchral  sheets,  the  mountain  now  hovers 
in  the  background  of  the  landscape,  towering  ghastly 
through  the  twilight  until  darkness  closes  upon  the 
scene.  It  is  a sight  which  richly  indemnifies  the  for- 
eign traveller  for  his  hardships  in  floundering  over 
wretched  roads,  sleeping  in  miserable  hovels,  and 
scrambling  over  the  roadless  Cordillera  ; for  nowhere 
in  the  wide  world  could  he  enjoy  such  a view  again. 

The  village  of  Cayambi  is  a cold,  windy,  unfriendly, 
and  dirty  place,  with  narrow  streets  and  mean  little 
houses  of  earth  or  adobes.  There  are  but  two  two- 
story  buildings,  and  these  are  on  the  Plaza.  The 
church  is  almost  entirely  in  ruins,  having  been  de- 
stroyed by  the  earthquake  of  1859.  * I was  very  hos- 
pitably received  by  the  curate,  who  lives  in  a large  but 
neglected  and  uncomfortable  building  in  the  rear  of 
the  church.  The  houses  have  no  glass  windows,  but 
only  wooden  shutters,  which,  in  a cold  place  like  Ca- 
yambi, makes  them  doubly  uncomfortable.  The  cold 
climate  of  the  place  is  attributable,  not  so  much  to  its 
elevation,  which  is  but  two  hundred  feet  higher  than 
that  of  Quito,  as  to  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  the 
mountain,  which,  in  my  opinion,  makes  it  one  of  the 
coldest  inhabited  places  in  the  province  of  Pichincha, 


'282  FODIi  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH— AMERICANS. 


although  it  is  almost  directly  under  the  line,  — Mt.  Ca- 
unbi  being,  according  to  Humboldt,  the  only  snowy 
bice  in  the  world  over  which  the  equator  passes. 
Cold  and  uncomfortable  as  the  valley  may  be^  it  is, 
nevertheless,  very  healthy.  The  curate  told  me  that 
the  inhabitants  attained  a very  high  age,  and  that  per- 
sons who  lived  a hundred  or  more  years,  did  not  at  all 
constitute  exceptional  cases.  The  streets  of  the  place 
— or  rather  lanes,  for  they  hardly  deserve  the  name  of 
streets — are  long  and  tortuous,  but  its  population  is  not 
in  proportion  to  its  extent,  as  the  houses  are  generally 
built  at  a considerable  distance  from  one  another,  sep- 
arated by  intervening  courts,  gardens,  and  fields.  A 
river  called  the  Rio  Blanco  (White  River),  passes  by 
the  village  at  its  northern  extremity,  and  is  formed, 
like  so  many  others  which  irrigate  the  plain  of  Taba- 
eundo,  by  the  melting  snows  of  Mt.  Cayambi. 

It  was  a dull,  cloudy,  gloomy  day,  with  every  now 
and  then  one  of  those  slow  and  piercing  mists  or  rains 
which,  in  these  regions,  are  called  “ 'paramos”  and  very 
frequently  develop  into  regular  showers.  They  owe 
their  origin  to  the  nearness  of  the  clouds  lowering  from 
the  mountains,  and  to  the  mists  in  which  the  real  para- 
mos (high  plains* or  heaths)  are  almost  continually  en- 
veloped. The  natives  have  a welcome-drink  which 
the}'  always  prepare  for  arriving  travellers,  and  which 
they  call  “ agua  gloriada ,”  or  “ aguita  de  azucar .”  It 
consists  of  sugar  dissolved  in  boiling  water,  with  a 
strong  addition  of  that  detestable  rum  which  the  sugar- 
cane districts  of  the  province  of  Imbabura  pour  over 
the  land.  This  beverage  was  inflicted  on  me  with  the 
urgent  recommendation  that  it  was  the  aguita  del  pais 
(the  water  of  the  country),  and  I had  to  struggle  hard 
to  ward  it  off  as  much  as  possible.  After  I had  rested 


LOS  SAN  JUANES. 


283 


a little,  I went  to  the  Plaza,  where  the  dances  of  the 
“ San  Juanes  ” had  already  commenced. 

The  spectacle  that  now  presented  itself  to  my  view 
was  entirely  novel,  not  only  on  account  of  the  fantastic 
and  not  at  all  unbecoming  dresses  of  the  performers, 
but  also  of  the  skill  and  promptitude  with  which  they 
went  through  the  most  difficult  figures  of  their  dance. 
The  latter  somewhat  resembled  our  cotillons.  There 
were  twenty-four  dancers  on  the  ground,  twelve  of 
whom  were  in  female  attire.  These  latter  wore  little 
black  felt  hats,  ornamented  with  waving  black  plumes, 
and  little  vails  attached  to  the  rims.  They  also  wore 
long  locks  of  false  hair.  Their  dresses  were  white  and 
neat,  and  over  their  shoulders  they  wore  little  silk 
shawls  of  gay  colors.  The  men  wore  little  caps,  with 
tinsel  and  plumage  of  all  colors,  silk  jackets  or  vests, 
silk  shawls  or  handkerchiefs  over  their  shoulders,  and 
clean  white  pantaloons.  Every  one  of  the  party  car- 
ried an  arch  in  his  hands,  covered  with  ribbons,  cock- 
ades, and  flowers.  These  arches  played  a prominent 
part  in  the  formation  of  the  figures  of  the  dance.  To 
complete  the  costume,  the  company  wore  yellow  danc- 
ing-shoes, made  of  the  coarse  and  heavy  leather  of  the 
country.  The  orchestra  consisted  of  a trumpet,  a big 
drum,  two  flutes,  and  a horn.  They  played  the  same 
tune,  consisting  of  only  a few  notes,  during  the  whole 
of  the  mortal  two  hours  that  the  dance  lasted.  This 
tune  is  also  called  “ San  Juan.” 

A fellow  with  his  face  painted  black  to  represent  a 
negro,  and  with  a red  soldier-jacket  and  white  panta- 
loons, and  a little  drum  at  his  side,  performed  the  part 
}f  the  leader,  and,  at- the  same  time,  clown  of  the 
party,  delivering  funny  addresses  to  the  audience,  or- 
dering groups  of  the  spectators  to  sit  down,  or  to  with- 


284  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


draw  to  the  houses,  so  as  not  to  obstruct  the  view  of 
those  behind  them,  and  threatening  to  stop  the  dance 
in  case  of  disobedience.  His  imperious  requests  were 
always  complied  with.  He  was  assisted  by  his  counter- 
part,— a fellow  in  the  disguise  of  a negress, — who 
whipped  the  boys  away  and  did  other  funny  things. 
She  and  her  pretended  husband  or  master  danced  around 
the  other  dancers  in  comic  style.  There  also  was  a fel- 
low in  the  popular  disguise  of  a monkey,  with  a long  tail, 
who,  by  his  independent  pranks,  entirely  unconnected 
with  the  other  proceedings,  greatly  amused  the  junior 
part  of  the  audience.  On  one  occasion,  he  snatched  a 
bag  from  an  old  Indian  woman,  opened  it,  and  in  reg- 
ular monkey  fashion  examined  its  contents,  throwing 
at  the  boys  the  few  pieces  of  agi  it  contained.  The 
dancing  took  place  in  the  middle  of  the  Plaza.  The 
spectators  (all  the  men  in  ponchos)  occupied  the  win- 
dows, porches,  and  house-tops  of  the  square,  and  the 
ruins  of  the  old  church,  or  were  seated  on  the  ground 
around  the  dancers.  It  was  a grotesque  sight,  and  I 
only  regretted  that  Mt.  Cavambi  was  concealed  from 
our  view  by  mists  and  clouds.  Its  snowy  dome  would 
have  formed  a strange  contrast  to  the  fantastic  dancers, 
and  the  motley  crowd  of  spectators  below. 

As  I have  already  said,  the  great  dance  lasted  about 
two  hours,  at  the  end  of  which  the  negro  leader  pro- 
posed vivas  (cheers)  for  the  President  of  the  Republic, 
for  the  curate  of  the  village  and  his  coadjutor,  for  the 
dancers  (los  Sanjuanes ),  and  for  himself.  All  these 
cheers  were  given,  not  by  the  multitude  in  attendance, 
but  by  the  dancers  themselves.  After  this,  single 
dances  were  performed,  one  pair  at  a time.  They  con- 
sisted of  the  slow  and  easy  alza  que  te  lian  visto , to 
which  I have  already  alluded. 


MT.  CAYAMBI. 


285 


As  soon  as  this  performance  was  over,  the  dancers, 
and  a great  number  of  the  spectators  in  their  wake, 
adjourned  to  the  residence  of  the  curate,  in  whose  large 
court-yard  they  repeated  some  of  the  figures  of  the 
cotillon,  and  refreshed  themselves  with  chicha , aguar- 
diente (rum),  and  a smoke,  in  all  of  which  those  dis- 
guised as  females  heartily  participated.  The  negro 
leader  then  made  his  appearance  on  the  curate’s  porch, 
and  compelled  some  of  the  gentlemen  present  to  pass 
through  an  alza  que  te  han  visto  with  the  pseudo-dam- 
sels below.  In  the  same  manner  some  of  the  lady 
guests  were  prevailed  upon  to  dance  a round  with  the 
indefatigable  Sanjuanes,  who  afterward  formed  a pro- 
cession and  marched  through  several  of  the  streets  of 
the  place.  The  liquor-shops  were  crowded  until  a late 
hour  of  the  night.  Besides  chicha  and  aguardiente, 
great  quantities  of  guarapo  were  consumed.  Guarapo 
is  the  juice  of  the  sugar-cane  boiled  and  partly  fer- 
mented. Its  taste  is  acid,  and  it  is  very  intoxicating. 
It  is  not  necessary  to  boil  the  juice.  Simple  fermenta- 
tion suffices  to  produce  a very  popular  beverage.  Bur 
the  guarapo  of  the  boiled  juice  tastes  better,  and  is 
therefore  preferred. 

Early  in  the  morning  next  day  I took  a stroll  around 
the  village,  but  the  weather  continued  unfavorable, 
and  Mt.  Cayambi  could  not  be  seen.  Having  seen  it 
very  often  from  Quito  and  other  places  from  which  it 
is  visible,  I was  very  anxious  to  see  it  near  by.  But 
Andean  scenery  is  continually  fraught  with  disappoint- 
ments, and  weeks  will  sometimes  pass  away  before  the 
envious  clouds  lift  their  vail  from  a mountain  whose 
fame  has  excited  the  curiosity  of  a nature-loving  trav- 
eller. While  conversing  with  the  natives,  a report 
was  mentioned  to  me  which,  if  true,  would  prove  highly 


286  FOUR  TEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


interesting  to  geographers.1  I was  told  that  Cayambi 
is  a volcano,  which  is  still  in  activity  ; that  on  its  east- 
ern side  it  has  two  craters,  from  which  frequent  erup- 
tions are  said  to  have  taken  place,  witnessed  by  the 
mayoy'domos  (superintendents  or  stewards)  of  neigh- 
boring haciendas  who  had  penetrated  into  the  wilder- 
ness in  the  rear  of  the  mountain  in  search  of  stray  cat- 
tle. Sportsmen  who  followed  game  into  those  lonely 
deserts,  are  said  to  have  made  the  same  observation. 
The  craters  are  not  on  the  summit,  but  on  the  east  side 
of  the  mountain,  and  throw  their  ashes  and  water  (for 
South-American  volcanoes  do  not  throw  out  lava)  in 
the  direction  of  the  wilderness  on  the  Napo,  one  of  the 

1 Dr.  William  Jameson,  to  whose  valuable  manuscript  notes  1 have  re- 
peatedly referred,  undertook  an  ascent  of  Cayambi  in  December,  1859.  of 
which  he  gave  me  a most  interesting  narrative.  I subjoin  the  following 
extract:  “ The  village  of  Cayambi  is  situated  on  a gentle  declivity,  forming 
the  base  of  the  mountain  bearing  the  same  name.  latter  is  situated 

east-northeast  of  Quito,  and  according  to  Humboldt,  directly  under  the 
equator.  The  flora  of  the  village  is  in  every  respect  similar  to  that  of  the 
last-named  city.  The  soil  is  remarkably  fertile,  and  watered  by  numerous 
streams  that  derive  their  origin  from  the  snow.  The  system  of  irrigation 
is  extensively  practiced  by  the  proprietors  of  cattle  estates,  who  derive  a 
liberal  emolument  from  the  productions  of  the  dairy,  particularly  from 
cheese,  which,  in  this  country,  is  consumed  in  enormous  quantities.  The 
number  of  cattle  distributed  over  the  different  farms  of  Cayambi,  cannot  be 
less  than  thirty  thousand.  There  is  one  estate,  that  of  Guachala,  where 
thirty  thousand  sheep  are  reared,  furnishing  a proportional  quantity  of  wool 
for  the  manufacture  of  a coarse  cloth,  connected  with  the  establishment. 
This  article  is  purchased  at  the  price  of  two  reals  a yard,  and  sold  in  the 
mining  districts  of  Barbacoas  at  rather  more  than  double  its  original  price. 
December  23d,  being  close  on  Christmas,  to  persuade  anyone  to  accompauv 
me  to  the  snowy  region,  was  not  to  be  thought  of.  1 had  to  wait  three  days, 
and  on  the  26th  set  out.  accompanied  by  an  Indian.  Our  ascent  on  the 
northern  side  was  an  easy  task,  and  occupied  us  about  six  hours.  Toward  the 
afternoon,  we  had  attained  an  elevation  of  about  14,090  feet,  and  my  guide 
pointed  out  to  me  a forest  of  Polylepis , which  I ascertained  to  be  identical 
with  that  growing  on  Chimborazo  at  nearly  the  same  height.  In  the  midst 
of  this  forest  we  found  a couple  of -huts,  well  covered  with  straw,  and  abun- 
dance of  material  for  fuel.  Botany  being  my  principal  object,  I cannot  say 
I found  any  material  difference  between  the  flora  of  Cayambi  and  that  of 
Pichineha,  with  which  I am  well  acquainted.” 


MT.  CATAMBI. 


287 


most  memorable  tributaries  of  the  Amazons.  At  pres- 
ent the  impression  prevalent  in  scientific  circles  is,  that 
Caj^ambi,  if  it  ever  was  a volcano,  has  become  dor- 
mant. This  belief  is  supported  by  the  fact  that,  from 
its  western,  southern,  and  northern  sides,  which  pre- 
sent themselves  to  the  inhabited  parts  of  Ecuador,  no 
eruptions  have  ever  been  noticed.  It  seems  strange 
that  none  of  the  scientific  travellers  who  examined  the 
mountain  and  its  botany  and  geology,  should  ever 
have  gone  behind  it.  Colonel  Hall,  to  whose  exploring 
expeditions  I have  already  referred,  and  who  died  a 
lamentable  death  before  he  had  published  his  most  val 
liable  scientific  observations,  made  an  attempt  to  scale 
the  mountain  from  its  western  (the  village)  side  ; in 
what  year  I am  unable  to  state.  He  had  already 
reached  a considerable  height,  when  he  found  himself 
unable  to  proceed  any  further,  on  account  of  the  steep- 
ness of  the  rocks,  and  the  snow-drifts,  in  which  he  was 
continuallv  losing  himself.  Having  also  been  aban- 
doned  by  the  Indians  whom  he  had  hired  to  accompany 
him,  he  was  compelled  to  return  before  having  accom- 
plished the  object  of  his  expedition.  Dr.  Jameson, 
who  ascended  the  mountain  from  its  northern  side, 
went  a little  beyond  the  snow  limit,  but  confined  him- 
self to  botanical  observations,  not  having  heard  the 
report  I just  mentioned.  My  curiosity,  therefore,  was 
greatly  excited  by  what  I had  heard,  and  I concluded 
to  attempt  the  ascent  from  the  eastern  side.  Prepar- 
ations, however,  being  necessary  for  such  an  expedi- 
tion, and  the  object  of  my  present  journey  being  the 
province  of  Imbabura,  I resolved  to  postpone  the  ex- 
ploration of  the  rear  of  Cayambi  till  the  month  of 
December  (the  Indian  summer),  when  the  storms  on 
the  paramos  would  have  subsided,  and  the  weather 


288  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


would  be  clear.  Subsequent  events,  however,  pre~ 
vented  me  from  carrying  out  my  intention. 

Many  other  stories  are  told  about  the  unexplored 
country  in  the  rear  of  Cayambi,  and  around  its  south- 
ern neighbor,  Sara  Urcu.1  One  of  the  villagers  in- 
formed  me  that  his  father,  while  on  an  expedition  in 
search  of  the  probably  fabulous  Serro  Pelado,  discov- 
ered a silver  mine  in  one  of  the  upper  rocks  of  Sara 
Urcu,  but  that  he  lacked  either  the  means  or  the 
necessary  energy  to  work  it.  In  speaking  of  those 
regions,  it  must  always  be  borne  in  mind  that  they  are 
complete  deserts,  without  roads  or  paths,  without  huts 
or  habitations,  without  a nourishing  vegetation  ; and 
that  while  it  is  impossible  to  penetrate  into  them  on 
horseback,  sharp  rocks,  frightful  abysses,  deep  ravines, 
and  the  frosts  and  snows  of  the  paramos,  will  soon  ar- 
rest the  sore  foot  of  the  weary  pedestrian.  The  mists 
and  fogs  in  which  the  paramos  are  enveloped,  some- 
times whole  weeks  without  intermission,  will  make  him 
lose  his  way.  The  streams  which  he  passes  will  rise 
behind  him  and  prevent  his  regress,  perhaps  for  days, 
during  which  his  + supply  of  provisions  will  give  out, 
exposing  him  to  the  danger  of  starvation.  All  these 
obstacles  are  well  calculated  to  dampen  the  ardor  of 
races  more  energetic  than  Spanish-Americans.  The 

1 Sara  Urcu  or  Sup  at  Urcu.  This  volcano  is  of  little  consideration,  and 
situate  in  the  chain  of  Guamani,  which  is  detached  from  the  great  Cordil- 
lera. According  to  Father  Velasco's  History  of  Quito , this  volcano  had 
two  eruptions  of  fire:  but  lately  it  ejected  great  quantities  of  volcanic  ashes, 
first  in  December,  1843,  and  then  in  December,  1856.  The  first  of  these 
eruptions  lasted  two  days,  and  produced  the  greatest  consternation  among 
the  inhabitants  of  Quito  and  the  neighborhood.  The  elevation  of  this 
mountain  is  6210  yards  (raras)  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  It  is  situate 
thirty-five  miles  to  the  east  of  Quito.  The  mountain-chain  of  I’esambillo, 
and  others  of  less  importance,  are  also  known  by  the  name  of  Sara  Urcu.,T 
— Translated  from  Manuel  Villavicencio's  Geography  of  the  Republic  of 
Ecuador , published  in  New  York  in  the  year  1858. 


THE  SERRO  PELADO. 


289 


Pizarros,  Almagros,  Alvarados,  Benalcazars,  and  Que- 
sadas  are  no  more.  That  iron  energy  and  persever- 
ance with  which  they  braved  the  perils  of  the  unex- 
plored wilderness,  and  endured  incredible  hardships  in 
search  of  the  Eldorado  of  their  dreams,  do  not  distin- 
guish their  descendants.  Too  indolent  to  develop  the 
resources  before  their  own  doors,  how  can  it  be  ex- 
pected that  they  should  set  out  to  conquer  an  unknown 
wilderness  ? 

The  story  of  the  Serro  Pelado , just  referred  to,  is 
differently  told.  Many  are  the  legends  in  which  it 
figures.  Most  of  them  locate  it  somewhere  in  the  rear 
of  Cayambi,  between  that  mountain  and  Sara  Urcu. 
According  to  others,  it  is- believed  to  be  in  the  rear  of 
Cotopaxi.  It  is  said  to  be  on  the  other  side  of  a stream, 
impassable  partly  on  account  of  the  perpendicular  height 
of  its  rocky  banks,  partly  on  account  of  the  rapidity 
and  depth  of  its  waters.  The  signification  of  the  word 
pelado , is  shorn , or  bald.  The  mountain  is  said  to  be 
entirely  barren,  and  its  large  and  fabulous  veins  of  gold 
are  reported  to  have  been  seen  from  this  side  of  the 
fatal  river.  There  is  one  point,  however,  in  that  Cor- 
dillera, as  the  story  runs,  where  the  river  is  easily  ford- 
able. That  point,  so  difficult  to  find  on  account  of  the 
mists  and  clouds  hovering  over  the  paramos,  was  acci- 
dentally discovered  by  an  Indian  of  the  neighborhood 
of  Cayambi.  He  had  run  away  from  his  master,  by 
whom  he  had  been  harshly  treated,  and  losing  his  way 
in  the  wilderness,  he  suddenly  found  himself  opposite 
the  Serro  Pelado  at  a fordable  point  of  the  stream. 
He  saw  the  veins  of  pure  gold  from  his  side  of  the 
river,  crossed  the  stream,  and  with  no  other  instrument 
but  his  hands,  dug  out  a large  lump  of  gold,  a part  of 
which,  on  his  return  home,  he  gave  to  a white  com- 
19 


290  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


padre.  He  is  even  said  to  have  returned  to  the  moun- 
tain for  fresh  supplies  of  the  precious  metal.  The 
sudden  change  in  his  circumstances,  as  well  as  in  those 
of  his  compadre , — who  seems  to  have  played  some  un- 
explained part  in  the  drama,  — excited  public  attention, 
and  the  Indian  was  arrested  and  compelled  to  confess. 
Great  excitement  followed  the  discovery,  and  an  expe- 
dition was  immediately  fitted  out  to  explore  Serro  Pe- 
lado  ; but  before  it  got  ready  to  start,  a revolution  broke 
out,  like  a deus  ex  machina , and  so  convulsed  the  coun- 
try for  some  time  afterwards,  that  the  enterprise  was 
abandoned.  Meanwhile  the  Indian  died,  and  expedi- 
tions that  afterwards  went  out  in  search  of  the  fabulous 
mountain,  returned  without  results.  This  is  the  least 
mythical  of  the  different  versions  of  the  story  that  have 
come  to  my  knowledge.  Others,  to  give  it  a romantic 
touch,  let  the  expedition  be  interrupted,  not  by  the 
breaking  out  of  a revolution,  but  by  the  sudden  death 
of  the  unfortunate  Indian,  who  had  been  impressed  as 
guide.  He  died  mysteriously  the  very  day  before  the 
intended  departure  of  the  expedition  ; and  with  him 
the  secret  of  the  locality  of  Serro  Pelado  was  sunk  into 
the  grave. 

Whether  such  a mountain  has  really  been  seen  by 
somebody,  is  a matter  of  great  doubt,  and  perhaps  im- 
probability. The  fact  is,  that  many  expeditions  went 
out  in  search  of  it,  and  that  it  was  not  discovered. 

Improbable,  and  vastly  exaggerated  as  most  of  these 
gold-stories  appear,  they  are  excusable  in  a country 
whose  immense  richness  in  precious  metals,  under  its 
ancient  native  rulers,  are  historical  facts  of  unquestion- 
able certainty.  “ There  must  be  gold  in  our  country, 
for  otherwise,  where  should  the  Incas  have  taken  it 
from  ? ” This  is  the  argument  with  which  the  natives 


PROVINCIA  DEL  ORIENTE. 


291 


generally  conclude  the  relation  of  the  above  and  sim- 
ilar legends.  It  is,  however,  too  vague  and  too  gen- 
eral  to  prove  the  point  in  question ; for  the  Incas  may 
have  found  their  precious  metals  anywhere  in  the  coun- 
tries now  known  as  Ecuador,  Peru,  and  Bolivia,  on  the 
eastern  or  on  the  western  side  of  the  great  Cordillera, 
if  not  in  the  mountains  themselves,  in  mines  which 
have  become  inaccessible  by  the  destruction  of  Indian 
civilization.  Another  argument,  however,  which  I 
heard  frequently,  ought  to  be  mentioned  in  this  con- 
nection. That  part  of  the  tropical  wilderness  beyond 
the  Cordillera  east  of  Quito,  which  is  generally  de- 
signated by  the  name  of  the  44  Napo  country  ” (its 
official  name  is  Provincia  del  Oriente ),  furnishes  the 
Ecuadorian  market  with  a yearly  quantity  of  gold-dust. 
However  limited  this  quantity  may  be,  it  fully  corre- 
sponds to  the  value  of  the  articles  which  the  Napo  In- 
dians purchase  during  the  year,  at  fabulous  prices,  from 
the  governor  of  the  province  or  his  partners  in  trade. 
Those  functionaries,  in  spite  of  all  legal  prohibitions, 
still  follow  the  ancient  practice  of  repartimientos  (com- 
pulsory sales).  They  unite  the  Indians  on  certain 
days  of  the  year,  distribute  a certain  quantity  of  baize 
and  other  articles  among  them,  which  the  savages  are 

O 7 O 

compelled  to  take,  and  then  command  them  to  pay  in 
gold-dust  for  the  debts  thus  forced  upon  them,  within 
six  months.  Naturally,  the  Indians  do  not  wash  more 
gold  than  necessary  to  discharge  their  obligations  to 
the  governor  or  his  favorites.  The  gold-dust  which 
they  furnish  is  washed  in  the  streams  having  their  ori- 
gin in  that  part  of  the  Cordillera  to  which  the  Cayambi, 
Sara  Urcu,  Cotopaxi,  and  other  Quitonian  mountains 
belong.  It  is,  as  the  natives  say,  oro  arrastrado , gold 
washed  away  from  its  original  layers  by  the  force  of 


292  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


the  current.  Hence  it  is  argued,  why  should  there 
not  he  gold  in  the  mountains  themselves,  when  there 
is  gold-dust  in  their  streams.  I repeat  this  argument 
without,  of  course,  indorsing  it.  Scientific  explorations 
alone  will  be  able  to  determine  the  truth.  Had  it  not 
been  for  Spanish  avarice  and  cruelty,  the  country  on 
the  head-waters  of  the  Amazons  would  not  be  what  it 
now  is  — a roving  place  for  unconquered  savage  tribes. 
The  district  of  Macas,  to  the  east  of  Riobamba,  on 
the  other  side  of  the  Cordillera,  was  the  richest  in  pre- 
cious metals  at  the  time  of  the  Spanish  conquest.  Its 
boundless  treasures  attracted  a great  number  of  adven- 
turers and  colonists,  who  founded  three  flourishing: 
cities  — Mendoza,  Sevilla  de  Oro  (the  Golden  Sevilla), 
and  Logrono,  the  fame  of  which  soon  rivaled  that  of 
Cuzco  and  Lima.  Forty-seven  years  of  progress  had 
cleared  the  impenetrable  forests  on  the  rivers  Palora, 
Upano,  and  Paute,  and  roads  were  cut  through  the 
rocky  deserts  of  the  Cordillera.  But  the  Indians  of 
the  Orient  were  not  so  meek  and  timid  as  their  breth- 
ren of  Cuzco  and  Quito.  The  warlike  Jivaros,  who 
had  defeated  the  conquering  schemes  of  the  great  Inca 
Huaynacapac,  were  not  the  men  to  bend  their  necks 
to  the  rapacious  tyranny  and  cruelty  of  Spanish  adven- 
turers. Under  the  leadership  of  the  valiant  and  cun- 
ning Quirruba,  — of  whom  we  must  regret  not  to  know 
more,  for  he  deserves  a place  in  history  as  the  liberator 
of  his  race,  — they  flew  to  arms,  and  in  a short  and 
terrible  conflict  wiped  from  their  virgin  soil  the  colo- 
nies of  the  European  intruder. 

A few  miserable  huts,  now  constituting;  the  village 
of  Macas,  are  said  to  indicate  the  place  where  the 
golden  Sevilla  once  stood,  but  of  Mendoza  and  Logrono 
not  a vestige  has  remained.  The  impenetrable  densitj" 


THE  SACK  OF  LOGRONO. 


293 


of  the  tropical  forest  again  closed  upon  the  scene,  and 
the  poisoned  arrow  of  the  savage  threatens  with  death 
and  destruction  the  intruder  whose  daring  foot  should 
have  escaped  the  sting  of  the  serpent  or  the  fang  of 
the  wild  beast.  * 

There  is  a legend  that  the  Jivaros,  after  taking  Lo- 
grono,  killed  the  Spanish  governor  by  pouring  down 
his  throat  a quantity  of  molten  gold.  But  there  is  no 
historical  evidence  whatever  to  warrant  a belief  in  this 
piece  of  poetic  justice.  It  is  true,  however,  that  no 
men  were  made  prisoners.  Those  who  did  not  escape 
in  time  were  mercilessly  butchered  by  the  exasperated 
Indians.  The  young  women  alone  were  spared,  and 
carried  off  as  the  wives  or  slaves  of  their  barbarous 
conquerors.  To  this  catastrophe  it  is  to  be  ascribed 
that  in  the  features  of  a whole  tribe  of  unredeemed 
Jivaros  there  is  yet  traceable  the  blood  of  Castile. 
What  a life  of  horror  and  despair  those  woe-begone 
women  must  have  led  in  the  hands  of  their  Indian 
masters,  only  the  pen  of  a Shakespeare  or  Goethe, 
Byron  or  Schiller,  could  describe.  An  ocean  between 
them  and  the  land  of  their  childhood  ; an  impenetrable 
wilderness  of  forests  and  mountains  between  the  place 
of  their  captivity  and  the  settlements  of  their  country- 
men ; and  the  embrace  of  a savage  heathen  between 
their  despairing  hearts  and  their  Church ! 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


My  Journey  to  the  Northern  Province  continued.  — The  Chase.  — Escu- 
lents. — The  fii  i m n J nf  Cn r imhi  i ffiii  (i  inn  Cnstiana.  — Aruchicos.  — 
Speech  by  an  Indian.  -\Tndian  Peonage^  Further  Peculiarities  of  Indian 
Character.  — Population  and  Clltll'acteristics  of  the  Town  of  Otabalo.  — 
The  Convent.  — Punishment  of  Indians  for  neglecting  Religious  Observ- 
ances.— Alcaldes  dt  Doctrina. — Mt.  Cotacachi  and  Lake  Cuicocha. — 
Dangerous  Hunting  Parties.  — Sunday  Markets.  — The  Village  of  Cota- 
cachi.— More  Remnants  of  the  Inquisition.  — Padronar. — How  Laws 
and  Municipal  Ordinances  are  promulgated  in  an  Illiterate  Country.  — 
American  Machinery  an  “Invention  of  the  Devil.” — Mt.  Imbabura. — 
The  Village  of  Hatuntaqui.  — Tolas,  or  Indian  Graves  or  Mounds.  — The 
City  of  Ibarra.  — Carranqui,  the  Birthplace  of  Atahuallpa  —No  Vestige 
left  of  Indian  Civilization  — Digging  up  Indian  Graves. — Strange 
Discoveries.  — Impulse  given  by  the  Gold  Discoveries  at  Cuenca.  — Lake 
Yaguarcoeha,  the  Sea  of  Blood. 

Let  us  return  to  Cayam&i. 

Friends  of  the  chase  will  find  an  abundance  of  deer 
on  the  slopes,  and  in  the  valleys  formed  by  the  great 
mountain.  The  deer  are  hunted  with  dogs,  the  sports- 
men following  wildly  on  horseback.  The  sport  is  very 
popular  among  the  natives,  and  called  “ corrida  de  vena- 
dos .”  Many  a time  the  deer  are  followed  up  to  the  snow 
limit.  Rabbits,  too,  are  found  in  great  abundance  ; so 
;n*e  wild  ducks  and  pigeons,  and  a species  of  partridges. 

Numberless  herds  of  cattle  are  kept  around  Cayambi, 
as  well  as  around  Cotopaxi,  Antisana,  and  other  giants 
of  the  Cordillera.  The  cheese  of  Cayambi  is  most 
favorably  known  in  Quito  and  the  neighborhood,  al- 
though its  preparation  is  carried  on  with  the  usual  dis- 
regard of  cleanliness.  The  milk  in  these  alpine  regions 
is  exceedingly  rich ; nevertheless,  neither  on  the  rich 


THE  DOCTRINA  CRISTIANA. 


295 


man’s  nor  the  poor  man’s  table  is  butter  to  be  found  as 
a common  esculent.  The  natives  do  not  seem  to  like 
it  much.  As  a general  thing,  they  do  not  care  for 
enjoying  what  a plentiful  Nature  proffers.  Meat,  for 
instance,  is  very  good,  but  they  do  not  know  how  to 
prepare  it.  They  always  manage  to  get  it  on  the  table 
in  a tough  and  unsavory  state.  Their  notions  of  cook- 
ing do  not  advance  beyond  two  or  three  kinds  of  potato 
soup,  which  constitute  their  chief  nourishment. 

On  the  south  side  of  the  village  church  is  the  ceme- 
tery.  I found  but  two  monuments  under  which  persons 
of  note  had  been  buried.  Excepting  these,  there  was 
not  a cross  nor  an  inscription  in  the  graveyard,  nor 
were  the  graves  made  prominent  by  mounds.  They 
are  trodden  upon  indifferently  by  those  who  visit  the 
burying-place.  But  what,  after  all,  would  be  the  use 
of  sepulchral  inscriptions  among  a people  who  cannot 
read  ? 

On  this  cemetery  the  Indians  of  the  parish  assemble 
twice  a week  to  recite  the  Doctrina  Cristiana,  consisting 
of  the  Paternoster,  ave,  credo,  the  commandments,  and 
an  abbreviated  catechism.  An  experienced  Indian,  who 
knows  the  Doctrina  by  heart,  recites  it  sentence  by  sen- 
tence, and  the  others  repeat  it.  Those  who  neglect  to 
attend  these  meetings  are  whipped  for  their  dereliction, 
as  I shall  afterwards  describe. 

The  inhabitants  of  almost  all  of  the  towns  in  the 
cold  regions  of  the  interior,  with  the  exception  of  the 
capital,  go  about  all  day  wrapped  up  in  double  ponchos 
of  bay  eta  (a  kind  of  coarse  wool),  to  which  they  fre- 
quently add  a shawl  worn  around  the  neck,  which  is 
called  u bufanda .”  To  a cold  and  unfriendly  place  like 
Cayambi,  the  shivering  appearance  of  these  lazy  loi- 
terers gives  a still  colder  and  gloomier  aspect.  The 


296  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


total  want  of  fire-places  contributes  to  the  general 
cheerlessness. 

The  day  (June  29tli)  had  opened  very  windy.  Fear- 
ful gusts  blew  down  from  Mt.  Cayambi,  banging  against 
the  houses,  or  rather  huts,  of  the  village,  and  driving 
clouds  of  dust  into  the  eyes  of  those  who  had  come  out 
to  see  the  mummeries  of  the  Indians.  At  about  mid- 
day the  Aruchicos  (this  is  the  name  by  which  Indians 
in  masquerade  are  designated)  commenced  to  march 
into  the  Plaza.  Besides  the  fantastic  attire  which  the 
great  occasion  required,  they  came  armed  with  tremen- 
dous clubs  and  sticks,  to  be  prepared  for  the  fight 
which  in  former  years  was  the  solemn  order  of  the  day. 
I could  see  at  once  that  they  were  descendants  of  tribes 
entirely  different  from  those  of  Otabalo.  Their  move- 
ments were  quicker,  their  songs  more  savage,  and  a 
certain  boldness  and  determination  seemed  to  animate 
their  faces.  Their  dances  consisted  of  a wild  running 
around  in  rings,  and  of  a fussy  advancing  and  retreating 
in  long  files,  instead  of  the  slow,  measured  step  of  the 
Otabalo  Indians.  There  were  two  or  three  parties  on 
the  ground  before  I left  it.  They  differed  from  each 
other  in  their  costumes,  as  well  as  in  their  manner  of 
dancing.  The  first  party  wore  black  zamarros  (goat- 
skin trousers)  with  very  long  hair  on  them,  little  straw 
hats  with  white  covers,  a handkerchief  around  their 
head,  and  another  over  their  shoulders,  and  under  it  a 
vest-like  garment  of  an  iron-colored  woolen  stuff,  in 
folds,  called  “ cushrna .”  But  the  most  remarkable  part 
of  their  attire  consisted  of  two  or  three  cow-bells  fast- 
ened to  a strap  of  leather,  which  they  wore  over  one 
shoulder  like  a scarf.  In  imitation  of  the  Cliolo  per- 
formance of  the  previous  day,  the  leader  of  the  party 
had  his  face  painted  black,  while  his  costume  was  in- 


SPEECH  BY  AN  INDIAN. 


297 


tended  to  be  soldier-like.  He  was  also  assisted  by  a 
pretended  negro  woman  cutting  all  sorts  of  capers. 
His  men  endeavored  throughout  to  keep  up  an  appear- 
ance of  military  discipline  and  bravery.  Judging  from 
my  riding-dress  and  poncho  that  I was  somewhat  ajbove 
the  rank  of  the  crowd  of  mounted  men  around  me,  he 
singled  me  out  from  among  the  rest,  and  taking  a posi- 
tion at  the  right  of  my  horse,  delivered  himself  of  a 
speech,  one  third  in  Quichua  and  two  thirds  in  Spanish, 
in  which  he  assured  me  that  his  forces  were  always  at 
my  disposal,  and  that  whether  in  daytime  or  at  night, 
he  and  his  men  would  be  ready  whenever  I should  need 
them.  Of  course  he  called  me  amo  mio  (my  master), 
which  is  the  usual  Indian  allocution  ; and  after  saying 
a great  many  things  which  hardly  any  body  could  un- 
derstand, he  wound  up  by  asking  me  for  a peseta 
(two  reals).  Upon  my  giving  it  without  hesitation, 
he  ordered  his  men  to  dance  for  my  especial  edification. 
They  were  drawn  up  in  a line,  and  hurriedly  swayed 
backward  and  forward,  until  he  ordered  them  to  form 
a ring,  not,  however,  with  their  faces  towards  the  cen- 
tre, but  following:  one  another  in  Indian  file,  and  going; 
through  the  same  Damos  una  vuelta  that  I had  already 
seen  at  Otabalo.  While  the  dance  was  going  on,  the 
leader  continually  made  exclamations  consisting  of  in- 
coherent words  in  Quichua  and  Spanish,  to  which  the 
others  replied  in  a monotonous  chorus.  But  what, 
he  said  and  what  they  answered  I could  not  make 
out.  Bystanders,  however,  who  were  familiar  with  the 
Quichua  language,  assured  me  that  it  was  sheer  non- 
sense — words  thrown  together  higgledv  - piggledy, 
and  intermingled  with  meaningless  sounds  ; their  chief 
object  being  to  keep  time  to  their  step.  I soon  after- 
wards had  an  opportunity  to  observe  that  the  Indians 


298  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


on  such  occasions  sing  any  thing  that  flashes  through 
their  minds,  accommodating  the  words  to  the  melody. 
At  the  Hacienda  of  San  Jos6,  for  instance,  at  which, 
after  leaving  Cayambi,  I stopped  for  about  an  hour,  a 
drunken  Indian  came  up  to  me  while  I was  speaking 
with  the  mayordomo,  and  told  us  in  a song  of  great 
length,  as  he  had  to  repeat  many  of  the  words  to  keep 
up  the  tune,  that  lie  was  a faithful  old  Indian,  who  did 
his.  duty  at  all  times  of  the  year,  and  who  was  fond  of 
his  work ; but  that  for  the  present  lie  must  be  excused, 
for  this  was  a time  of  holidays,  which  he  wanted  to 
enjoy  like  his  brethren.  The  mayordomo  told  him  it 
was  all  right,  and  he  went  away  contented. 

The  second  party  of  Aruchicos  that  attracted  my 
attention  on  the  Plaza,  wore  white  cotton  pantaloons, 
cotton  handkerchiefs  around  their  heads,  and  instead 
of  the  cushma , handkerchiefs  over  their  arms  and 
shoulders.  Some  wore  an  embroidered  shirt  over  their 
trousers,  while  others  had  handkerchiefs  suspended 
from  their  hats,  like  vails.  They  were  accompanied 
by  demons  with  horns,  monkeys,  and  other  fancy  masks. 
There  were  little  boys  among  them,  but  no  women. 
They  all  carried  cow-bells,  and  the  leaders  had  their 
faces  blackened,  and  were  assisted  by  men  in  the  dis- 
guise of  negresses.  Some  of  them  wore  formidable 
wigs  of  flax  or  wool,  which  gave  them  quite  a savage 
appearance.  I also  noticed  that  the  Cayambi  Indians 
wear  their  hair  shorter  than  those  of  Otabalo  and  Cota- 
cachi. 

I have  already  said  that  they  were  all  armed  with 
clubs  and  truncheons,  to  be  ready  in  case  of  a battle. 
This,  however,  did  not  take  place,  as  the  enemy  had 
been  detained  at  home.  The  Indians  belonging  to 
several  of  the  neighboring  haciendas,  and  especially  to 


PEONAGE. 


299 


that  of  San  Jos£,  are  the  old  enemies  of  those  whom  I 
saw  on  the  Plaza.  From  time  immemorial  regular 
yearly  battles  had  been  fought  between  them  on  these 
holidays.  All  their  mutual  animosities  and  resent- 
ments, all  the  spite  and  grudges  that  had  accumulated 
during  the  year,  were  fought  out  on  these  occasions. 
From  two  to  three  men  were  killed  every  year,  and  an 
equal  or  greater  number  badly  wounded,  until  at  last 
efforts  were  made  to  check  this  barbarous  custom. 
Parties  of  citizens  placed  themselves  at  the  four  en- 
trances of  the  Plaza,  and  took  the  clubs  from  the  Indians 
as  they  came  in.  This  precaution,  however,  proved 
ineffectual,  and  other  measures  had  to  be  adopted. 
Separate  festivals  were  organized  at  San  Josd  and  other 
neighboring  haciendas,  and  free  rum,  chieha,  arid  bull- 
teasings  given  to  the  Indians  to  keep  them  -at  home. 
The  mayordomo  of  San  Josd  afterwards  told  me  quite 
naively,  that  these  expenses  had  become  necessary  to 
prevent  the  killing  of  Indians,  whose,  death,  as  they 
always  were  in  a manner  purchased  by  the  land-owners 
and  constituted  their  laboring  capital,  would  be  a great 
pecuniary  loss  to  the  parties  interested.  Not  for  the 
sake  of  humanity  and  civilization,  therefore,  but  from 
considerations  of  interest  merely,  had  a stop  been  put 
to  this  time-honored  barbarity. 

In  this  connection  it  becomes  .necessary  to  explain 
the  system  of  Indian  servitude  prevailing  on  the  hacien- 
das of  the  interior.  The  Indian  farm  laborers  — 
and  it  is  only  the  Indians  and  negroes  who  work  on 
farms,  and  by  the  sweat  of  their  brows  maintain  the 
white  population  by  whom  they  are  oppressed  — are 
called  gananes , or  concertados , or  peones.  Their  wages  + 
do  not  exceed  a medio  (half  a real)  per  day,  which 
would  amount  to  about  twenty-three  dollars  per  year. 


300  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH— AMERICANS- 


In  addition  to  this,  the  land-owner  is  obliged  to  « ive  to 
each  man  a suit  of  coarse  common  cloth,  and  a hat, 
every  year.  He  also  gives  them  a small  piece  of  ground 
which  they -may  cultivate  for  themselves,  and  on  which 
they  may  build  their  huts,  called  huasijjovgos.  For  this 
miserable  allowance  they  are  compelled  to  work  from 
early  dawn  till  five  or  six  o’clock  in  the  evening.  Be- 
fore  beginning  their  regular  work  they  are  obliged  to 
perform  an  extra  task,  such  as  gathering  fuel,  repairing 
the  roads,  carrying  bricks,  etc.  This  extra  task  is  called 
faena.  If  they  absent  themselves  from  their  work,  the 
days  they  lost  to  their  masters  are  deducted  from  their 
scanty  wages,  and  they  are  in  most  cases  punished 
for  their  dereliction.1  Besides  the  labor  which  they 
must  perform  for  their  masters,  they  are  also  compelled 
to  do  a thousand  little  things  for  their  curates,  who  are 
generally  more  despotic  and  cruel  than  the  land-owners. 
Their  wives  and  children  must  cultivate  the  land  of  the 
curate,  if  he  has  any,  and  furnish  him  with  servants  in 
addition.  Under  these  circumstances  but  little  time  re- 
mains to  the  Indian  for  the  cultivation  of  his  own  piece 
of  ground,  but  his  faithful,  industrious,  and  untiring  wife 
steps  in  and  does  what  her  husband  cannot  do.  The 
Indian  women,  however,  are  not  exempt  from  labor  for 
the  land-owners.  They  must  perform  their  faenas  like 
the  men,  although  they  are  not  paid  for  it.  It  is  evi- 

1 It  cannot,  be  said,  however,  that  the  Indians  alone  are  liable  to  be 
whipped  by  order  of  their  masters.  Negro  and  colored  peons  are  generally 
treated  in  the  same  manner,  especially  on  haciendas  remote  from  cities 
where  they  have  no  opportunity  of  preferring  a complaint.  The  hacienda 
proprietor  is  often  as  arbitrary  and  despotic  as  an  ancient  feudal  lord.  On 
an  hacienda  on  the  river  Guaillabamba,  a zambo  peon  had  run  away  frcm 
his  master  to  try  his  fortune  somewhere  else.  He  was  captured  before  he 
reached  Quito,  and  his  master  immediately  ordered  him  to  be  put  in  irons, 
and  to  receive  one  hundred  lashes  Happening  to  be  present,  I interceded, 
and  obtained  the  master’s  promise  that  at  least  one  half  of  the  sentence 
should  be  remitted. 


THE  INDIANS  ALWAYS  IN  DEBT. 


801 


dent  that  however  cheap  living  may  be  in  the  interior, 
and  however  limited  an  Indian’s  wants  may  be,  half  a 
real  per  day  is  insufficient  to  maintain  him  and  his 
family.  (I  have  already  said  that  the  Indian  never  i 
without  a family.  He  marries  at  an  early  age,  and 
generally  rears  a great  number  of  children,  who,  like 
their  parents,  grow  up  in  benighted  ignorance  and 
superstition.)  He  needs  a hog,  or  a calf,  or  a slice]), 
a tercio  of  barley  or  corn  to  grind  his  raw  meal  for 
mashea  ; his  wife  wants  a piece  of  bayeta  for  a shawl 
or  a petticoat ; his  children  must  be  baptized,  and  no 
credit  is  given  by  the  curates,  who  inflexibly  adhere  to 
the  cash  system  ; a festival  takes  place  in  the  neighbor- 
hood for  which  alittle  money  is  required  : the  land-owner 
therefore  advances  the  money  or  furnishes  the  neces- 
sary articles,  and  he  does  so  willingly,  because  it  is  his 
interest  to  keep  the  Indian  in  debt.  An  account  is  kept 
of  all  these  transactions  ; but  the  poor  ganan , to  whom 
the  art  of  reading  or  writing  is  a mystery,  is  at  the 
mercy  of  the  mayordomo  or  escribiente  (the  clerk  who 
keeps  the  books  of  the  hacienda).  At  the  end  of  the 
year,  the  Indian  not  only  remains  in  debt  to  his  master, 
but  the  debt  for  which  he  was  originally  purchased  has 
generally  increased.  It  is  not  usual  to  settle  accounts 
every  year.  In  many  cases  it  is  done  only  when  the 
Indian,  tired  of  his  master,  asks  for  a settlement.  Tic 
is  then  taken  before  a justice,  or  if  it  is  in  a city,  to  the 
police  station,  a balance  is  struck,  and  the  debtor  im- 
prisoned, as  imprisonment  for  debt  has  not  yet  been 
abolished  in  Ecuador.  His  huasipongo , and  the  little 
piece  of  ground  around  it,  now  revert  to  his  master, 
and  the  Indian  remains  in  jail  until  somebody  else 
pays  his  debt,  and  thereby  purchases  his  services.  It 
is  true  he  might  make  an  assignment  of  his  property, 


802  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


or,  as  we  should  call  it,  take  the  benefit  of  the  insolvent 
act  ; hut  these  are  rights  which  he  does  not  know,  and 
how  should  he  get  the  money  to  buy  papel  sellado 
(stamp-paper),  and  pass  through  complicated  legal  pro- 
ceedings ? Moreover,  the  courts  would  hold  that  by 
entering  on  a new  year  he  made  an  implied  contract 
to  serve  during  that  year,  and  specific  performance 
would  at.  once  be  decreed.  His  new  master  is  gener- 
ally  on  hand  ; laborers  are  in  great  demand  ; the  In- 
dian himself  perhaps  has  already  made  an  arrange- 
ment with  his  new  master  before  he  left  the  old  one 
(and  some  Indians  are  shrewd  enough  to  do  this  to 
their  advantage)  ; and  so  he  passes  from  one  master 
to  another,  a slave  in  fact,  though  not  in  name. 

It  is  considered  a great  piece  of  perfidy  and  bad  faith 
on  the  part  of  the  Indian  if,  in  consideration  of  some 
promise  or  present,  he  thus  changes  his  master  ; but 
what  is  it  to  him  for  whom  he  works  ? It  being  the 
only  right  he  has,  to  ask  for  a settlement  and  be  trans- 
ferred to  another  owner,  why  should  he  not  avail  him- 
self of  it  if  he  can  turn  it  to  some  account  ? But  the 
Spaniards  are  so  accustomed  to  a dog-like  servility  and 
submissiveness  on  the  part  of  the  Indian,  that  the  least 
symptom  of  a distant  refractoriness,  fills  them  with 
wrath  and  indignation.  Do  they  really  suppose  that 
it  will  be  possible  forever  to  retain  thousands  of  hu- 
man beings,  on  whose  hard  and  unrequited  labor  the 
whole  country  lives,  in  a state  of  abject  servitude  and 
oppression  ? The  Indians  of  Ecuadorian  hacienda- 
owners  are  their  working  capital,  the  same  as  negro 
slaves  in  other  countries.  Great  sums  of  money  are 
invested  in  their  acquisition.  An  hacienda-owner  once 
told  me  that  his  Indians  owed  him  $13,000.  Another 
assured  me  that  his  capital  invested  in  Indian  labor 


MEDICAL  TREATMENT  OF  INDIANS. 


303 


amounted  to  $15,000.  There  are  haciendas  to  which 
whole  colonies  of  Indian  families  belong.  The  debts 
for  which  they  are  generally  sold*  vary  from  fifty  to 
one  hundred  dollars.  At  the  police  court  of  Quito, 
many  such  transactions  took  place  during  my  residence 
at  the  capital.  Many  a time  I was  informed  by  ac- 
quaintances  that  they  had  just  bought  a number  of 
peones.  Their  maintenance  costs  but  little.  The 
land-owner  manages  to  keep  the  Indians  in  debt,  but 
he  does  not  allow  them  to  get  into  it  too  deep.  Their 
necessities,  as  I have  already  said,  are  very  limited. 
Medical  attendance,  for  instance,  they  do  not  require 
at  all.  But  very  few  Indians  would  submit  to  scientific 
medical  treatment.  They  have  no  confidence  in  white 
physicians,  but  cling  to  the  ancient  traditions  of  their 
race.  When  they  are  taken  sick  they  apply  to  some 
old  woman  of  their  own  race  who  has  the  reputation 
of  being  a curandera  (one  who  cures),  and  subject 
themselves  to  her  treatment.  Fortunately,  the  consti- 
tution of  the  Indian  is  strong,  and  his  health,  in  spite 
of  all  his  filthiness  and  intemperance,  remarkably  good. 
His  death  is  a double  loss  to  his  owner,  who  loses  the 
man’s  services  and  the  debt  he  owed.  My  readers 
will  now  understand  the  motives  of  interest  as  well  as 
humanity  by  which  the  land-owners  around  Cayambi 
were  actuated  in  putting  an  end  to  the  customary 
yearly  battles  of  their  Indians. 

I did  not  wait  for  the  toros  (bull-fights)  which  were 
to  commence  on  the  following  day,  and  to  occupy  the 
remainder  of  the  week,  inclusive  of  Sunday ; but  re- 
turned to  my  head-quarters  at  Peguchi.  The  hacienda 
and  quinta  (villa)  of  Peguchi  are  situate  at  the  foot  of 
a mountain  which  separates  the  plain  of  Otabalo  from 
the  valley  of  San  Pablo.  I left  the  quinta  with  regret, 


304  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


after  having  stayed  there  about  a week,  and  proceeded 
to  Otabalo,  where  I proposed  to  stay  a few  days.  T 
have  no  reliable  data  by  which  to  estimate  the  popula- 
tion of  that  town,  to  the  extent  of  which  the  number 
of  its  inhabitants  does  not  seem  to  correspond.  But 
when  the  ancient  Spaniards  founded  a town  or  village, 
thev  divided  the  soil  among  the  settlers,  allotting  gen- 
erally  but  four  proprietors  to  one  square,  so  as  to  enable 
them  to  have  kitchen-gardens,  court-yards,  or  orchards 
around  their  houses.  Their  settlements,  therefore, 
always  extended  over  a considerable  area,  and  as  the 
country  progressed  but  very  little,  the  results  of  this 
system  still  present  themselves  to  our  view.  Many  a 
time  we  find  but  two  or  three  houses  in  one  square. 
Long  walls,  covered  with  that  dense  vegetation  which 
clings  to  ruins,  roofs,  and  walls,  line  the  streets,  and 
protect  the  unweeded  and  neglected  gardens  and  court- 
yards behind  them.  In  some  of  them  cabbage  or  clove t 
is  raised  ; in  others,  fruit-trees,  to  which  the  climate  is 
very  favorable,  have  been  planted ; but  most  of  these 
gardens  are  neglected,  or  used  as  eorales  (pens  or 
ounds). 

The  situation  of  Otabalo  is  friendlier  than  that  of 
Quito,  because  cultivated  fields  and  meadows  expand 
over  the  surrounding  hills  and  plains,  and  the  welcome 
sight  of  trees  in  a country  where  there  is  such  a scarcity 
of  them,  produces  an  agreeable  impression.  The  streets 
are  laid  out  in  the  usual  Spanish-American  style,  inter- 
secting each  other  at  right  angles,  and  having  the  gut- 
ters  in  the  centre.  They  are  overgrown  with  grass, 
and  without  life  or  animation.  Stores  there  are  but 
few,  as  the  town  has  no  commerce.  The  windows  are 
without  glass-panes,  as  at  Cayambi,  which  is  very  dis- 
agreeable on  account  of  the  near  neighborhood  of  Mts. 


RUINS  AT  OTABALO. 


305 


Irnbabura  and  Cotacacbi.  The  weather  is  sometimes 
very  cold  and  stormy,  especially  at  the  beginning  of 
the  dry  season.  I may  add  here  that  glass  is  not  man- 
ufactured in  the  country,  and  is  therefore  high  in  price. 

The  elevation  of  Otabalo,  according  to  Dr.  Jameson’s 
measurement,  is  8470  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea. 
The  naranja  cigria  (sour  orange),  the  lemon,  and  even 
an  occasional  upstart  of  sugar-cane,  grow  in  the  gar- 
dens, but  the  fruit  on  which  the  inhabitants  plume 
themselves  most,  is  a kind  of  raspberry  (mora),  from 
which  a very  pleasant  beverage  is  prepared.  The  peo- 
ple are  very  hospitable  and  courteous  to  strangers. 

There  is  no  want  of  ruins  at  Otabalo,  for  otherwise 
it  would  be  untrue  to  its  Spanish- American  character. 
In  the  interior  it  takes  very  long  to  erect  or  repair  a 
building.  Not  only  does  the  work  progress  slowly, 
but  the  owner  has  generally  begun  it  without  a pre- 
vious calculation  of  the  probable  expense.  In  this  case 
the  work  will  be  abandoned  for  months,  and  sometimes 
for  years.  The  general  practice  is  to  cover  the  walls 
with  tiles,  so  as  to  protect  the  bricks  or  adobes  of  which 
they  are  made  against  the  rain,  and  then  leave  them 
until  the  work  can  be  resumed.  In  the  mean  time 
weeds  grow  up  in  the  intended  rooms,  and  hogs  will 
establish  their  quarters  within  the  inclosures. 

The  whites  and  Cholos  of  Otabalo  all  speak  the  Qui- 
chua , or  Indian  language.  They  learn  it  from  their 
earliest  childhood,  and  speak  it  with  great  ease  and 
perfection.  To  the  owners  of  haciendas  in  this  neigh- 
borhood, a knowledge  of  the  Quichua  is  indispensable, 
for  there  are  hundreds  of  Indian  farm  laborers  who 
cannot  speak  a word  of  Spanish. 

There  is  a convent  at  Otabalo,  but  its  corridors  and 
cells  are  in  ruins,  and  its  court-yards  overgrown  with 
20 


306  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


wild  weeds.  The  monks  to  whom  the  building  belongs 
do  not  live  in  it.  They  live  with  their  families  or  mis- 
tresses outside.  The  practice  of  keeping  women  is 
carried  on  by  them  without  shame  or  apprehension. 
They  beget  children  and  own  them  ; they  even  show 
themselves  in  public  at  the  side  of  their  concubines. 
They  lead  such  a lazy  and  easy  life  that  the  mayor- 
domos  of  haciendas,  who  cannot  provide  a better  lot 
for  their  sons,  generally  destine  them  for  the  Church, 
which  supports  them  without  requiring  them  to  work. 
All  the  convents  in  the  country  own  great  haciendas, 
from  which  rich  revenues  are  derived,  to  be  swallowed 
up  by  vicious,  lazy,  and  ignorant  monks. 

Happening  to  be  at  Otabalo  on  a Sunday,  curiosity 
impelled  me  to  go  to  mass.  Standing  on  the  open 
square  in  front  of  the  church,  my  attention  was  at- 
tracted by  about  two  dozen  Indians,  most  of  them 
women,  brought  up  by  a few  Indian  alcaldes , who  led 
them  tied  to  one  another  with  a long  rope,  probably  in 
the  same  manner  in  which  the  kino;  of  Dahomey  would 
chain  together  the  slaves  intended  for  the  foreign  mar- 
ket.  Their  offense  consisted  in  having  failed  to  attend 
religious  service,  especially  the  doctrina,  for  which  they 
are  compelled  to  meet  twice  a week.  They  were  driven 
up  and  cuffed  by  the  alcaldes , who  for  this  purpose 
are  intrusted  with  a little  despotic  authority,  which 
they  are  delighted  to  exercise.  These  alcaldes  are 
appointed  by  the  curates,  and  are  called  “ Alcaldes  de 
Doctrinal  (The  Indians  are  afflicted  with  three  classes 
of  regular  oppressors  — the  government,  the  hacienda- 
owners,  and  the  curates  ; but  the  last  are  said  to  be 
the  worst  of  all.)  Other  alcaldes  are  appointed  by  the 
government.  Their  business  is  to  procure  Indian  la- 
borers or  carriers  for  the  public  service  whenever  they 


LAKE  CUICOCHA. 


307 


are  wanted.  It  is  the  duty  of  these  officers  to  furnish 
slaves  whenever  slave  labor  is  required  by  the  fountain- 
head of  iniquity — a South-Arneriean  government.  The 
twenty-four  offenders  of  whom  I just  spoke,  were  made 
to  kneel  down  in  front  of  the  church,  and  exposed  to 
public  view  — a punishment  which  is  intended  to  shame 
them.  Disgusted  with  this  spectacle,  I entered  the 
crowded  church,  and  witnessed  the  saying  of  mass. 
But  here  the  devotion  of  the  congregation  was  contin- 
ually  disturbed  by  an  unwashed  dirty  fellow  in  a red 
poncho,  who  went  up  and  down  with  — not  exactly  a 
plate,  but  some  other  begging  utensil,  apparently  of 
silver,  calling  out  every  now  and  then,  ''Para  la  cera 
del  santisimo  Sacramento  ” (“  for  the  wax  of  the.  most 
holy  sacrament”). 

About  ten  miles  from  Otabalo,  in  the  lap  of  Mt. 
Cotacachi,  on  its  southern  side,  is  Lake  Cuicoeha, 
10,200  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  a very  romantic 
little  lake,  with  two  islands,  or  rather  hills,  in  the  cen- 
tre, which  seem  to  have  remained  after  the  falling  in 
of  that  part  of  the  mountain,,  to  the  disappearance  of 
which  the  lake  probably  owes  its  origin.  The  hills  01 
islands  are  covered  with  dense  green  shrubs  and  little 
trees,  which  give  them  a very  pleasant,  although  mel- 
ancholy appearance.  No  human  habitation,  except  two 
or  three  Indian  huts,  are  visible  from  the  shore.  Pleas- 
ure parties,  I was  told,  will  sometimes  build  provisional 
cottages  on  the  ridges  of  the  steep  banks  by  which  the 
lake  is  hemmed  in,  and  embark  on  frail  balsas  con- 
structed of  reeds  growing  in  or  near  the  water  along 
the  shores.  As  the  lake  is  in  a hollow,  it  cannot  be 
seen  from  a distance.  The  view  breaks  upon  you  sud- 
denly, and  not  before  you  approach  the  brink.  There 
is  but  one  practicable  path  to  descend  to  it.  It  leads 


308  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


to  a little  opening  among  tlie  shrubs,  which  is  called 
the  embarcadero.  Lovers  of  the  chase  will  hunt  deer 
on  the  surrounding  hills,  and  drive  it  into  the  lake, 
which  it  will  swim,  crossing  to  one  of  the  two  islands, 
where  it  may  be  taken  without  difficulty  by  the  dogs. 
Hunting  in  this  vicinity  constitutes  a most  dangerous 
amusement.  Through  a dense  growth  of  spines  (mi- 
mosa), which  tear  the  rider’s  face  and  hands,  the  sports- 
men follow  their  prey,  preceded  by  a pack  of  hounds, 
who  are  the  chief  actors  in  the  play.  I was  shown  a 
narrow  track  which  the  deer  usually  takes,  and  which 
consists  of  a steep  and  narrow  path  leading  to  the  em- 
barcadero, exceedingly  slippery  in  rainy  weather,  with 
a precipice  on  each  side.  To  the  north,  one  false  step 
or  slide  of  the  horse  will  precipitate  its  rider  into  the 
lake,  while  to  the  south  it  would  throw  him  into  a wil- 
derness of  spiny  shrubs  and  thorns.  Accidents  are 
very  frequent,  and  sometimes  fatal,  but  they  are  unable 
to  dampen  the  ardor  of  hunting  parties  who,  from  time 
to  time,  resort  to  this  place.  When  I visited  Cuicocha 
the  weather  was  very  favorable,  and  while  ascending 
the  slopes  of  Cotacachi  I found  myself  in  a circle  of 
majestic  mountains.  There  was  Cayambi,  after  a cold 
night,  with  a long  white  robe  which  reached  far  below 
the  usual  snow  limit ; there  was  Iinbabura,  its  trachytic 
cupola  sprinkled  all  over  with  snow  ; there  was  Cota- 
cachi, with  the  lake  in  its  lap,  and  its  hoary  peaks  frown- 
ing down  upon  the  intruders  ; there  was  Chiles,  visible 
in  an  uncertain  distance  to  the  north,  struggling  with 
the  clouds  that  hung  around  it ; while  to  the  south 
the  peaks  of  Cotopaxi  and  Pichincha  peeped  over  the 
range  of  the  Cordillera,  which  divides  the  plain  of  Ota- 
balo  from  the  plain  of  Ana  Quito. 

At  Otabalo,  Cotacachi,  and  all  such  country  places, 


VILLAGE  OF  COTACACHI. 


309 


more  business  is  done  on  Sunday  than  on  any  other 
day.  In  fact,  whatever  purchases  or  sales  the  Indians 
have  to  make,  are  made  on  Sunday.  These  Sunday 
markets  are  called  u ferias .”  The  sellers  squat  on  the 
ground,  .sometimes  under  little  screens  of  baize  or  sack- 
cloth nailed  to  a clumsy  wooden  contrivance  supported 
by  a pole  which  is  driven  into  the  ground.  Here  they 
sell  macahas  (a  sort  of  narrow  cotton  shawls),  ponchos, 
wool,  cotton,  beads,  rosaries,  leaden  crosses,  strings  of 
glass  pearls,  collars  and  bracelets  of  false  corals,  and 
other  cheap  ornaments  ; meat,  fruit,  vegetables,  salt, 
agi,  barley-meal,  and  such  popular  dishes  ready  made, 
as  cariuclio , locro , chocllos , mashca , toasted  corn,  etc. 

It  was  on  a Sunday  when  I rode  over  to  the  village 
of  Cotacachi,  which  is  about  an  hour’s  ride  from  Ota- 
balo.  I saw  many  Indian  graves  (mounds),  some  of 
them  very  high,  along  the  road.  Cotacachi  is  the  vil- 
lage which  suffered  most  from  the  earthquake  of  1859, 
yet  I noticed  less  ruins  there  than  anywhere  else  in 
the  country.  Cotacachi,  Hatuntaqui,  and  Guano,  near 
Riobamba,  are  the  most  industrious  villages  of  the 
Republic,  and  the  natural  effect  of  labor  is  prosperity. 
Cotacachi,  therefore,  presents  a friendly  appearance. 
New  houses  greet  vou  on  all  sides,  and  buildings  are 
everywhere  in  process  of  construction.  The  chief 
article  of  manufacture  is  ponchos,  which  are  exported 
to  Quito,  Guayaquil,  and  New  Granada.  It  is  calcu- 
lated that  about  six  thousand  cotton  ponchos  of  all 
colors  are  manufactured  monthly.  The  cotton  thus 
consumed  is  raised  in  the  hotter  parts  of  the  province. 
Woolen  stuffs  for  ponchos,  coats,  and  pantaloons,  and 
silks  for  vests,  cravats,  etc.,  are  also  manufactured. 
The  silk  used  is  imported  from  abroad.  Efforts  are 
making  to  introduce  the  silk-worm  in  Ecuador,  but  as 


310  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


yet  nothing  can  be  said  as  to  the  result.  The  instru- 
ments used  for  these  manufactures  belong  to  a bygone 
age.  Every  thing  is  done  by  hand,  and  in  a slow  but 
steady  manner.  Modern  improvements  and  machinery, 
although  known  in  the  neighborhood,  have-  not  yet 
found  their  way  into  the  patriarchal  community  of 
j Cotacachi. 

When  I arrived,  throngs  of  Indians  were  just  leaving 
the  church  and  assembling  on  the  grave vard,  where 
they  sat  down  on  the  ground  — the  men  on  one  side, 
the  women  on  the  other.  And  here  I witnessed  another 
of  those  scenes  so  revolting  to  human  dignitv  and  self- 
respect.  It  began  with  a roll-call,  which  is  called  “ Pa - 
dronar .”  The  names  of  the  Indians,  men  and  women, 
of  the  parish,  are  inscribed  on  three  or  four  wooden 
tablets,  with  a handle  to  each.  In  front  of  each  name 
is  a small  hole,  through  which  a string  is  drawn,  with  a 
knot  at  each  end.  The  names  on  the  tablets  are  read 
off  by  an  alcalde,  and  each  individual  meekly  responds, 
uAqui  estoy , mi  amo  ” (u  here  I am,  my  master”).  If 
the  knot  attached  to  a name  is  found  hanging  outside,  it 
is  a sign  that  its  owner  failed  to  attend  the  last  rehearsal 
of  the  doctrina  cristiana.  These  rehearsals,  as  I have 
already  said,  take  place  twice  a week.  As  soon  as  the 
name  of  the  offender  is  called,  he  is  required  to  step 
forward  and  to  lie  down  flat  on  the  ground,  where  he 
receives  three  lashes,  which  are  given  with  a long  cow- 
hide doubled  for  the  purpose.  The  women  only  kneel 
down,  and,  taking  oft*  their  shawls,  receive  the  lashes 
on  the  back.  The  poor  creatures  submit  to  this  indig- 
nity with  the  utmost  humility  and  patience,  although 
many  of  them  know  that  such  treatment  is  prohibited 
by  law. 

There  were  cock-fights  on  the  plaza  — a usual  Sun- 


A COTTON  FACTORY. 


311 


day  amusement.  When  these  were  over,  the  pelota 
was  played,  a hall  game  that  requires  considerable 
physical  exertion.  At  the  same  time  a music  band 
was  playing  to  convoke  the  residents  to  listen  to  the 
reading  of  a new  municipal  ordinance.  In  a country 
without  newspapers,  such  means  must  be  resorted  to 
to  give  publicity  to  laws  and  ordinances. 

Between  Otabalo  and  Cotacachi  is  the  quinta  of  Mr. 
Pedro  Perez  Pareja,  with  an  important  cotton  factory, 
the  machinery  of  which  is  perfect,  and  was  made  in 
Patterson,  New  Jersey.  The  cost  of  transportation 
amounted  to  over  $40,000,  and  many  pieces  were  lost 
or  broken  ; nevertheless,  it  works  well,  and  the  owner 
sells  all  he  can  make.  But  the  expense  of  establishing 
the  factory  was  so  great,  that  the  speculation  turned 
out  unprofitable.  When  the  native  weavers  first  saw 
the  machinery  in  motion,  in  its  most  ingenious  com- 
plexity, and  saw  that  it  did  in  an  hour  what  they  could 
not  do  in  days  and  weeks,  they  thought  that  it  was  an 
invention  of  the  devil,  or  rather  that  the  Prince  of 
Darkness  himself  was  the  power  which  set  it  in  motion. 

The  road  from  Otabalo  to  Ibarra  is  very  good  in 
summer,  and  cannot  be  very  bad  in  winter.  It  is  re- 
markably level,  gently  declining  toward  Ibarra,  and 
passes  along  and  across  the  western  slope  of  Mt.  Im- 
babura.  This  interesting  volcano  does  not  enter  the 
line  of  perpetual  snow,  and  derives  its  name  from 
irnba , which  in  Quichua  means  u little  fish,”  and  bur  a, 
that  which  produces  ; because  in  its  eruptions  of  water 
it  threw  out  great  quantities  of  those  little  fishes,  which 
the  Spaniards  call  prenadillos , and  which,  as  I have 
already  remarked,  are  found  in  the  shallow  water  along 
the  shores  of  Lake  San  Pablo. 

Hatuntaqui,  which  is  about  a league  from  Cotacachi, 


312  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


and  two  leagues  from  Ibarra,  is  the  place  where  the 
great  Indian  battle  was  fought  which  terminated  in  the 
defeat  and  death  of  Caelia,  the  last  Scyri  or  King  of 
Quito.  This  unfortunate  monarch  was  the  descendant 
of  an  ancient  and  powerful  dynasty  of  rulers,  who, 
though  inferior  in  arts  and  civilization  to  the  Peru- 
vians, were  greatly  superior  to  the  Indian  tribes  of 
New  Granada.  Their  language  was  a dialect  of  Peru- 
vian  Quichua,  from  which  the  common  origin  of  both 
nations  is  inferred.  They  had  arrived  at  that  period  of 
civilization  which  archaeologists  call  the  period  of 
bronze.  Their  kingdom  consisted  of  a great  number 
of  Indian  tribes,  among  which  the  Caranquis  were  the 
most  warlike.  For  many  years  the  Scyris  had  fought 
against  the  slowly  but  irresistibly  advancing  power  of 
the  Incas,  by  whom  they  were  at  last  driven  from  their 
capital,  and  overwhelmed  in  a decisive  battle  on  the 
plain  of  Hatuntaqui.  There  it  was  that  the  Inca  Huay- 
nacapac,  the  victorious  invader,  added  to  the  borla  the 
emblem  of  Peruvian  royalty,  the  emerald  of  the  Scyris 
of  Quito.  Hatuntaqui  was  afterwards  transformed  into 
a fortified  camp  of  the  Incas.  There  the  great  drum 
is  said  to  have  been  kept,  the  sound  of  which  could  be 
heard  for  many  miles  around,  and  from  which  the  pres- 
ent village  derives  its  name  ; for  Hatuntaqui,  in  Qui- 
chua. means  gran  tambor , or  the  big  drum  of  war. 

The  village  of  Hatuntaqui,  as  I said  above,  is  one  of 
the  most  industrious  and  enterprising  of  the  Republic. 
There,  straw  hats  are  made  in  considerable  quantities  ; 
sacks  or  bags  in  still  greater  quantities  are  manufac- 
tured from  the  fibre  of  the  American  aloe ; but  the 
most  important  business  of  the  place  is  the  hiring  out 
of  beasts  of  burden,  on  which  the  products  of  the  prov- 
ince, its  woolen  and  cotton  goods,  its  sugar  and  rum, 


CLIMATE  OF  HATUNTAQUI. 


318 


its  salt  and  grain,  are  transported  to  Quito  and  New 
Granada.  The  village  is  inhabited  by  a great  number 
of  arrieros,  who  are  doing  a lively  business  in  all  direc- 
tions. Like  Cotacachi,  it  does  not  present  that  gloomy 
aspect  which  characterizes  other  Ecuadorian  towns. 
New  houses  are  in  process  of  erection  in  almost  every 
street;  schools  are  being  built,  streets  are  repaired, 
and  gardens  laid  out,  pleasantly  contrasting  with  the 
decay  of  other  and  more  renowned  places. 

Hatuntaqui  is  about  half  a league  to  the  west  of  the 
main  road  from  Otabalo  to  Ibarra,  in  a plain  dotted 
with  an  immense  number  of  tolas  or  Indian  graves. 
Many  of  them  arose  after  the  great  battle  to  which  I 
have  just  alluded,  and  after  which  the  corpses  of  thou- 
sands of  the  victors  and  vanquished  covered  the  bloody 
ground.  Many  of  these  tolas  are  ploughed  over,  and 
the  corn  of  the  conqueror  now  grows  on  the  graves  of 
the  ancient  lords  of  the  land.  The  country  around 
Cotacachi  and  Hatuntaqui  is  chiefly  a grain  region, 
indian-corn,  barley,  wheat,  and  potatoes  grow  in  un- 
limited abundance.  All  the  grains  and  fruits  of  the 
temperate  zone  could  be  introduced  here.  In  the  gar- 
dens and  orchards,  the  peach,  the  fig-tree,  and  the  wild 
grape  grow  by  the  side  of  the  chirimoya,  the  aguacate, 
and  the  raspberry.  The  climate  is  delightful.  It  is 
the  same  all  the  year  round  : no  torrid  season  ener- 
vates the  inhabitant  of  this  favored  realm  ; no  icy 
winter  sends  him  shivering  to  the  chimney  fire.  In 
fact,  stoves  and  chimneys  are  unknown  ; and  to  know 
what  heat  is,  one  would  have  to  descend  to  the  sultry 
valley  of  the  Chota,  where  the  negro  hums  his  merry 
tunes  among  coffee  and  plantain-trees,  and  the  sugar- 
cane. There  is  no  starvation  in  this  neighborhood  ; 
nobody  dies  from  cold ; nobody  sinks  sun-struck  to  the 


314  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


ground  ; no  troublesome  insects  molest  the  inhabitants  ; 
epidemics  are  unknown  ; healthy  faces  peep  at  you 
through  the  long  hedges  of  aloes  ; healthy  faces  stare  at 
you  from  every  Indian  cottage.  It  is  not  sickness,  it 
is  foreign  war  and  internecine  strife  and  perpetual  con- 
vulsions, that  decimate  the  population  and  scatter  death 
and  decay  where  wealth  and  bliss  should  smile. 

“ The  golden  harvests  spring;  the  unfailing  sun 
Sheds  light  and  life;  the  fruits,  the  flowers,  the  trees, 

Arise  in  due  succession;  all  things  speak 
Peace,  and  harmony,  and  love.  The  Universe, 

In  Nature’s  silent  eloquence,  declares 
That  all  fulfill  the  works  of  love  and  joy. 

All  but  the  outcast  Man ! He  fabricates 
The  sword  which  stabs  his  peace ; he  cherisheth 
The  snakes*that  gnaw  his  heart.” 

There  is  but  little  traffic  between  Ibarra  and  Ota- 
balo.  The  Ecuadorians  are  not  a migrating  or  travel- 
ling people.  Weeks  will  pass  before  some  resident  of 
the  former  place  will  visit  the  latter,  or  vice  versa , 
although  the  distance  is  but  inconsiderable.  Only 
occasionally  the  traveller  meets  a few  cargas  of  sugar, 
rapadura , or  rum,  going  to  Quito,  or  a solitary  New 
Granadian  going  to  or  coming  from  Pasto  or  Popayan. 

The  plain  of  Ibarra  presents  a most  friendly  aspect ; 
for  although  the  mountains  by  which  it  is  bounded  on 
the  north,  and  at  the  foot  of  which  Ibarra  seems  to  rest, 
are  arid  and  monotonous,  like  the  Cordillera  in  gen- 
eral, our  sight  is  gladdened  by  trees  around  the  habi- 
tations on  the  road  from  San  Antonio  to  Ibarra.  Ibarra 
itself  is  almost  hidden  among  orchards,  kitchen  gardens, 
clover  fields,  and  rows  of  willows  (sauces'), -and  only  the 
cupolas  and  steeples  of  its  churches  remind  us  of  its 
dignity  as  the  capital  of  the  province.  To  our  right, 
as  we  descend  into  the  plain,  lies  the  friendly  village 
of  Carranqui,  where  Atahuallpa  was  born,  in  happy 


IBARRA.  315 

ignorance  of  those  who  were  to  take  his  crown  and 
life. 

Ibarra  occupies  the  lowest  part  of  the  plain  no\v  be- 
fore us.  Its  situation  is  somewhat  damp  and  swampy, 
for  which  reason  it  is  occasionally  visited  with  inter- 
mittent fevers,  which,  howrever,  never  assume  a malig- 
nant character.  The  towrn  extends  along  the  left  bank 
of  the  river  Tauliando,  an  affluent  of  the  Ambi,  which 
the  queer  poetry  of  the  common  people  has  immortal- 
ized by  the  following  stanza,  sung  all  over  the  country 
by  arrieros  and  chagras  (churls)  : — 

“ En  el  rio  de  Tauhando 
4 Mi  sombrero  va  nadando, 

Y con  la  copa  me  dice 
Qiie  mi  amor  se  va  acabando.”  1 

The  town  of  Ibarra  is  said  to  contain  from  7000 
to  8000  inhabitants,  which  I am  satisfied  is  an  ex- 
aggeration. The  inhabitants  are  very  social  and  hos- 
pitable. This  latter  virtue  is  one  of  great  importance 
to  the  traveller,  because  the  place  has  no  tavern  or 
casa  posada.  • The  stranger  who  arrives  without  know- 
ing any  body  is  compelled  to  thrust  himself  on  private 
hospitality  without  preliminaries,  which  to  a person  of 
delicacy  is  very  embarrassing.  I was,  however,  most 
hospitably  received  by  the  worthy  governor,  Don  Lu- 
ciano de  la  Sala,  and  his  amiable  family,  at  whose  house 
I remained  for  over  a week. 

Ibarra  is  neither  an  industrial  nor  a commercial 
place.  In  thrift  and  enterprise  it  is  far  behind  Cota- 
caehi  and  Hatuntaqui.  It  is  the  residence  of  landed 
proprietors  who  own  sugar  plantations  or  other  farms 
in  the  neighborhood.  Generally,  however,  their  resi- 

1 *'  In  the  river  Tauhando  my  hat  swims  along,  and  with  its  crown  it  tells 
me  that  my  love  is  vanishing.” 


416  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


dence  in  Ibarra  is  of  limited  duration.  As  soon  as 
they  succeed  in  obtaining  pecuniary  independence,  they 
prefer  to  transmigrate  to  Quito.  The  number  of  re- 
spectable families  in  Ibarra  is  therefore  very  small.  A 
business  of  some  importance  in  this  neighborhood  is 
the  breeding  of  donkeys,  for  the  purpose  of  sending 
them  to  Pasto  and  Popayan,  where  they  always  find  a 
very  profitable  market.  Sacks  and  ropes  are  manufac- 
tured to  some  extent  from  the  fibre  of  the  aloe.  The 
elevation  of  Ibarra  above  the  level  of  the  sea  is  7550 
feet,  and  the  climate  very  agreeable.  It  is  not  hot,  and 
yet  warmer  than  that  of  Quito. 

The  town  has  more  churches  and  convents  than  the 
number  of  its  inhabitants  would  seem  to  justify.  All 
the  public  buildings  were  damaged  by  the  earthquake 
of  1859.  The  Convent  of  La  Merced  was  almost 
ruined.  As  the  friars,  however,  pass  their  lives  out- 
doors, none  of  them  were  hurt.  The  finest  public 
building  is  the  Church  De  la  Compahia.  From  its 
terraced  roof  and  steeples  a very  fine  view  may  be 
had  of  the  surrounding  plain  and  villages.  In  one 
of  the  apartments  of  the  church  a most  remarkable 
mummy  is  shown  to  visitors.  It  is  a man  in  a sitting 
posture,  greatly  contracted,  with  his  knees  drawn  up 
to  his  face,  and  the  latter  resting  on  his  hands.  His 
skin,  and  even  his  intestines,  are  perfectly  preserved. 
He  was  found  by  a hunting  party  in  a lonely,  out-of- 
the-way  place  in  the  Cordillera.  There  are  marks  of 
wounds  on  his  person,  especially  a hole  in  the  back, 
through  which  the  inner  part  of  the  body  may  be 
seen.  The  soil  where  he  was  found  is  limy,  and 
the  place  probably  one  of  those  which  are  so  admirably 
adapted  to  the  desiccation  of  dead  bodies.1 

1 “ A curious  result 'of  t he  extreme  dryness  of  the  atmosphere,  charged 
with  saline  particles,  has  been  observed  in  some  of  the  more  elevated  region: 


BIRTHPLACE  OF  A TAHUALLPA. 


317 


The  women  of  Ibarra  are  not  handsome.  Those  who 
are,  emigrate  to  Quito  as  soon  as  they  can.  For  the  in- 
habitants of  the  interior,  Quito  is  the  great  centre  of  at- 
traction. They  can  hardly  be  persuaded  that  there  can 
be  any  thing  greater  and  finer  in  the  world  than  Quito. 
“ Quito  bonito ,”  is  a proverb  which  may  be  heard  all 
along  the  public  highways.  Another  adage  thus  ex- 
presses the  high  opinion  which  the  Serranos  entertain 
of  their  capital : “ De  Quito  — al  cielo  ; del  cielo  un  agu- 
jeritopara  ver  d Quito”  (“  From  Quito — to  heaven  ; 
in  heaven  a little  aperture  through  which  to  look  at 
Quito.”)  The  most  ardent  desire  of  all  young  women 
in  the  provinces  is  to  be  able  some  day  or  other  to 
go  to  Quito,  which  to  their  happy  ignorance  is  the  ne 
plus  ultra  of  all  human  perfection. 

The  village  of  Carranqui,  the  birthplace  of  Atahu- 
allpa,  is  about  half  a league  from  Ibarra.  Its  situation 
is  higher  and  healthier  than  that  of  the  latter,  but  its 
vegetable  products  are  the  same.  In  the  gardens  of 
both  places  I found  figs,  wild  grapes,  lemons,  plantains, 
(these  latter  do  not  prosper  much,  as  they  require  a 
hotter  climate,)  limas , tomatoes  on  trees,  sour  and 
sweet  oranges,  papayas,  peaches,  a kind  of  raspberries, 
aguacates,  the  dwarf  cocoa-nut,  chirimoyas , nogales , etc., 
etc.  Inoculation  is  unknown  in  this  country,  nor  are 
trees  ever  pruned. 

of  Peru.  The  pure  drying  winds  have  the  effect  of  embalming  dead  bodies 
submitted  to  their  influence.  The  ancient  Peruvians  appear  to  have  occa- 
sionally availed  themselves  of  the  desiccating  qualities  of  the  air,  by  leaving 
their  dead  above  ground  instead  of  burying  them.  In  the  desert  of  Atacama 
there  is  a cemetery  of  this  description,  which  was  accidentally  discovered 
by  Dr.  Reid,  a late  traveller  in  Peru.  He  found  the  dried  bodies  of  600 
men,  women,  and  children,  all  in  a perfect  state  of  preservation,  and  in  a 
sitting  posture,  arranged  in  a semicircle,  gazing,  as  it  seemed,  on  vacancy. 
There  they  had  sat  for  centuries.  A jar  of  maize  and  a cooking  utensil 
were  found  by  the  side  of  each.”  — From  an  article  on  Peru,  published 
in  the  Lon  Ion  Qn  irterli /,  January,  1863. 


318  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


At  Carranqui,  Huaynacapac,  the  father  of  the  last 
Inca  Atahuallpa,  is  said  to  have  Held  his  court  for  many 
years.  There  he  is  said  to  have  constructed  a royal 
palace,  forts,  temples,  and  a convent  for  the  virgins  of 
the  sun.  Of  all  these  edifices  no  vestige  has  remained. 
The  parochial  church  of  Carranqui  is  said  to  rest  on 
the  foundations  of  an  ancient  temple  of  the  sun  ; but 
even  this  is  doubtful.  In  their  reckless  search  for  gold 
the  barbarous  Spaniards  left  no  stone  upon  the  other. 
Their  cupidity  had  been  excited  by  what  they  had 
heard  of  the  riches  of  the  ancient  kingdom  of  Quito. 
They  came  in  the  expectation  to  find  the  treasures  of 
Atahuallpa,  but  they  were  disappointed.  Either  those 
treasures  were  fabulous,  or  they  had  been  applied  to 
swell  the  ransom  of  the  captive  Inca,  or  they  had  been 
hidden  by  the  Indians  before  the  arrival  of  their 
foreign  enemies.  This  latter  hypothesis  has  found 
most  favor  with  Spanish  historians,  and  it  was  generally 
believed  in  by  the  men  of  Benalcazar  and  Ampudia, 
who- were  the  first  to  take  possession  of  Quito.  For 
this  reason  they  pulled  down  the  walls,  and  undermined 
the  foundations  of  stately  edifices  ; and  not  a stone  was 
left  at  Quito  and  Carranqui  to  tell  the  tale  of  a de- 
stroyed civilization. 

The  only  monuments  in  this  neighborhood  that 
escaped  the  fury  of  the  conquerors,  are  the  tolas  or 
mounds.  They  were  too  many  and  too  big  to  be 
opened ; and  probably  those  that  were  opened  did  not 
remunerate  the  trouble  of  excavation.  The  Indians  of 
Quito  and  the  neighborhood  were  not  in  the  habit  of 
burying  their  dead  in  subterranean  graves.  They 
placed  them  on  the  ground  generally  in  a sitting  pos- 
ture, and  mostly  several  of  them  together  in  a semi- 
circle, and  depositing  their  drinking  vessels  filled  with 


BEVERAGES  FOR  THE  DEAD. 


319 


cliicha,  their  arms,  jewels,  and  other  ornaments  at  their 
sides,  constructed  a low  wall  of  stones  around  them, 
which  they  covered  with  great  quantities  of  earth  and 
rocks,  until  the  mound  thus  formed  rose  to  the  size  of 
a little  hill.  Some  of  these  hills  are  of  astonishing  di- 
mensions.  Narrow  passages  or  channels  were  gener- 
ally constructed,  through  which  the  dead  could  be 
supplied  with  cliicha.  The  pots  or  vessels  in  the  tolas 
were  so  placed  as  to  correspond  with  the  channels  or 
air-holes  leading  to  the  surface.  In  an  excavated  tola 
at  Carranqui,  I saw  vestiges  of  these  channels,  which 
betokened  superior  workmanship  and  a considerable 
degree  of  skill  in  masonry.  They  were  well  walled 
out,  and  their  base  most  symmetrically  designed.  In 
many  of  the  mounds  that  were  lately  opened,  cliicha 
was  found  in  vessels  at  the  side  of  the  skeletons,  and 
at  the  base  of  the  channels  through  which  it  is  gener- 
ally  believed  that  the  Indians  of  the  present  day,  act- 
uated by  a certain  sense  of  piety,  are  still  supplying 
their  dead  ancestors  with  their  favorite  beverage. 
Whether  this  is  true  or  not,  I am  unable  to  say.  It 
is  but  too  probable  that  these  channels  should  have  be- 
come obstructed  in  the  course  of  time.  On  the  other 
hand,  the  Indians  have  lost  their  ancient  traditions, 
and  it  is  not  likely  that  the  poor,  drunken  brutes  of  the 
present  day  would  waste  their  beloved  cliicha  by  pour- 
ing it  into  graves.  Still  it  can  hardly  be  believed  that 
cliicha  should  have  been  preserved  in  a mound  for  over 
three  hundred  years. 

Several  years  ago,  after  the  great  gold  discoveries  in 
the  graves  of  Cuenca  had  given  a new  impulse  to  ex- 
cavating enterprise,  a joint-stock  company  was  formed 
at  Ibarra  for  the  purpose  of  opening  the  principal  tolas 
of  Carranqui.  Two  or  three  of  them  were  excavated, 


320  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


but  nothing  of  importance  found.  Heavy  earrings  of 
bronze  were  found  on  the  shoulders  of  the  dead. 
Earthen  vessels,  or  pieces  of  the  same,  of  a solid  make, 
and  of  a blood-red  color,  were  found  in  great  abun- 
dance. But  as  no  gold  was  discovered,  the  enterprise 
was  abandoned.  One  of  these  tolas,  which  from  time 
immemorial  was  known  by  its  Quichua  name  of  the 
Tola  of  Gold,”  had  attracted  the  attention  of  the 
company  more  than  any  other ; but  the  proprietor 
asked  eighty  dollars  for  his  permission  to  open  it  ; a 
sum  which  the  managers  were  unwilling  to  give.  The 
vessels  found  in  these  Indian  graves  are  greatly  supe- 
rior in  workmanship,  as  well  as  in  usefulness,  to  the 
crockery  now  manufactured  in  Ecuador. 

Separated  from  the  town  of  Ibarra  by  the  river  Tau- 
hando,  and  a spur  of  the  Cordillera  which  extends 
into  the  plain,  is  Lake  Yaguarcocha,  the  waters  of 
which  are  discharged  into  the  river  Tauhando.  It  is 
about  one  and  a half  miles  in  circumference,  and  its 
shores  are  covered  with  a vegetation  of  reeds  called 
totora , of  which,  by  tying  them  together  in  cables,  a 
frail  kind  of  balsa  is  constructed  for  purposes  of  navi- 
gation. The  scenery  along  the  banks  is  sad  and  mel- 
ancholy,  like  its  name.  Yaguarcocha,  in  the  Indian 
language,  signifies  “ Sea  of  Blood.”  After  the  Peru- 
vian Inca  Huaynacapac  had  conquered  the  empire  of 
the  ancient  Scyris  of  Quito,  the  Carranquis,  one  of  its 
bravest  nations,  rebelled  against  the  foreign  yoke.  It  is 
said  that  while  profound  peace  was  reigning  throughout 
the  land,  the  Carranquis  made  a sudden  night  attack  on 
the  Orejones , the  body-guard  of  the  unsuspecting  Inca, 
and  after  killing  a great  many  of  them,  withdrew  to 
their  own  province.  But  now  the  wrath  of  the  con- 
queror was  aroused.  He  followed  them  with  his  victo- 


THE  SEA  OF  BLOOD. 


321 


rious  army  of  veterans,  defeated  them  in  a frightful 
battle  near  the  shores  of  the  lake,  and  ordered  the  whole 
male  population  of  the  province  to  be  killed.  Their 
dead  bodies  were  thrown  into  the  lake,  and  so  numer- 
ous were  the  victims,  that  their  blood  reddened  its 
waters,  and  gave  it  the  name  which  it  has  since  re- 
tained, the  “ Sea  of  Blood.”  According  to  ancient 
traditions,  the  number  of  the  slain  varies  from  40,000 
to  80,000,  which  undoubtedly  is  an  exaggeration. 

A great  number  of  tolas  on  the  southwestern  shore 
of  the  lake  — the  only  side  on  which  it  is  not  hemmed 
in  by  mountains  — are  the  surviving  monuments  of  the 
great  slaughter.  In  the  rear  of  these  tolas  is  a pucard , 
or  Indian  fort,  consisting  of  a ditch,  which,  like  a wind- 
ing staircase  ( caracol ),  encircles,  from  below  upwards, 
an  isolated  hill,  commanding:  an  interesting  view  of  the 
lake  and  plain.  This  fort  probably  was  the  last  refuge 
of  the  vanquished  Carranquis. 


21 


CHAPTER  XV. 


Trip  to  the  Province  of  Imbabura  concluded.  — A Visit  to  the  Valley  of  the 
River  Chota.  — The  Heights  of  Alaburu.  — The  Mountain  of  Pialchan, 
with  its  Mysterious  Cave. — Another  Gold  Legend. — Aerial  Bridges. — 
Returp  to  the  Tropics.  — Sugar  Plantations  and  Negroes. — History  of 
the  Abolition  of  Slavery  in  Ecuador.  — Landslips.  — Mass  Emigration 
and  Disappearance  of  Indians.  — The  Strange  Story  of  Pimampiro. — 
Geological  Catastrophes.  — Digging  for  Treasures.  — The  Village  of 
Cacha  swallowed  up  by  an  Earthquake.  — Indian  Graves.  — Ancient  In- 
dian Crockery. — Guajara.  — The  Footpath  to  Pevlon  on  the  Coast.  ■»- 
The  English  Company. — Negro  Dances.  — Bomba  and  Alfandoque. — 
The  Paramo  Road  to  Quito.  — Mojanda.— A Farewell  to  the  Fairy  Prov- 
ince of  Imbabura.  — Mountain  Lakes.  — Return  to  Quito. 


My  readers  will  now  accompany  me  on  an  excursion 
to  the  valley  of  the  Chota,  which  is  the  most  important 
sugar-growing  region  of  the  province  of  Imbabura. 
Passing  by  Lake  Yaguareocha,  with  the  Indian  fort 
described  in  my  last  chapter  to  our  left,  we  ascend  a 
range  of  the  Cordillera,  which  divides  the  plain  of  Ibarra 
from  the  low  and  sultry  valley  of  the  Chota.  To  as- 
cend a high  mountain  on  one  side,  and  to  descend  it  on 
the  other,  is  the  monotonous  task  of  the  traveller  in 
the  Andes.  The  point  from  which,  after  losing  sight 
of  the  plains  of  Ibarra  and  Carranqui,  we  commence 
our  dreary  descent,  is  a group  of  miserable  cottages 
called  “ Alaburu.”  They  are  constructed  of  reeds 
Qcariso'),  plastered  with  mud,  and  thatched.  The  view 
which  now  presents  itself,  is  desolate  in  the  extreme. 
Whithersoever  the  eye  may  wander,  the  mountains  are 
barren  of  vegetation,  except  a few  crippled  and  miser- 
able shrubs,  “which  only  add  to  the  general  gloom. 


A LONG  AND  DUSTY  PATH. 


323 


The  muddy  river  far  below,  which  with  great  precipi- 
tation hurries  on  over  rocks  and  rubble,  is  hemmed  in  by 
sandy,  arid  mountains,  and  uninhabited  deserts.  Only 
occasionally  the  eye  is  relieved  by  fields  of  the  yellow- 
green  sugar-cane  along  the  river  banks,  or  on  some  of 
the  protruding  platforms  of  the  mountains.  From  nine 
o’clock  in  the  morning  till  about  four  or  five  in  the 
afternoon,  the  sun  sends  down  his  scorching  rays  on 
the  long  sandy  and  dusty  path  which  is  now  before  us. 
The  descent  to  the  river  occupies  about  an  hour  and  a 
half,  and  there  is  not  a hut  on  the  road  to  give  us  shel- 
ter, not  a tree  to  protect  us  for  a moment  from  the 
parching  sun.  For  this  reason,  it  is  always  advisable  to 
leave  Ibarra  very  early  in  the  morning,  so  as  to  reach 
the  river  before  the  heat  sets  in.  Now  and  then  the 
sand  disappears  under  our  feet,  and  we  pass  over  plats 
of  hardened  earth  without  any  vegetation.  Not  a blade 
of  grass  is  to  be  seen  for  miles  around.  We  feel  as  if 
the  horrors  of  the  desert  were  breaking  upon  us.  After 
toiling  down  for  about  an  hour,  the  scanty  shrubs 
around  us  begin  to  rise  into  stunted  trees,  intermingled 
with  all  sorts  of  cacti ; but  it  is  not  before  we  reach 
the  valley  itself  that  we  meet  with  a useful  and  pleas- 
ing vegetation,  conquered  from  the  apparently  unprom- 
ising soil  by  the  industry  of  man.1 

1 The  vegetation  of  the  mountains  lining  the  valle}'  of  the  Chota,  seems 
to  be  confined  to  four  species.  I have  travelled  through  these  deserts  man  v 
a weary  mile  without  finding  any  other  plants  except  occasional  groups  of 
cacti.  Those  four  species  are:  1.  The  Dodonen  viscosa,  a shrub  which  the 
natives  call  “ mosque  a .”  * 2.  The  Mimosa , of  which  there  are  various  species 
in  the  sultry  valleys  of  the  Andes,  constituting  diminutive  trees,  armed  with 
spines.  The  natives  call  it  “ espino."  3.  The  Croton  menlhodorum,  a small 
shrub  which  is  widely  distributed  on  the  sdndy  plains  of  San  Antonio  (to 
the  north  of  Quito),  Alchipichi,  on  the  Guaillabamba,  etc.  Its  popular 
name  is  Chamano.  4.  An  arborescent  Prosopis , which  the  natives  call 
4 c -fitarango ,”  and  which  is  used  for  dyeing  purposes.  The  endless  repetition 
of  these  four  species  is  exceedingly  displeasing.  Their  scanty  foliage  and 


324  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


To  the  left  of  the  road  on  our  descent  from  Alaburu, 
is  a mountain  called  u Pialchan,”  concerning  which  a 
queer  story  circulates  among  the  common  people.  The 
mountain  is  said  to  contain  a cave,  and  in  the  cave 
there  is  a giant  of  stone.  Under  the  arm  of  that  dread 
person,  there  is  an  entrance,  or  hole,  which,  however, 
opens  only  on  Good  Friday  or  other  solemn  occasions. 
Through  this  hole  the  lucky  visitor  passes  into  a sec- 
ond cave,  in  which  there  is  a calvario  (a  representation 
of  the  crucifixion),  and  an  immense  treasure  of  gold 
and  silver,  of  which,  unfortunately,  it  is  not  permitted 
to  take  more  than  a measure  found  on  the  spot  will 
hold.  He  who  takes  more  cannot  get  out  with  his 
treasure.  The  opening  under  the  giant’s  arm  closes 
upon  him,  and  after  a few  hours  of  anguish  and  despair, 
he  falls  into  a swoon,  to  awake  in  the  open  air  in 
another  part  of  the  inhospitable  mountain.  Many  su- 
perstitious persons,  attracted  by  this  story,  which  they 
eagerly  believed,  explored  the  mountain  in  all  direc- 
tions, but  without  success.  Some  are  said  to  have 
found  the  cave ; but  the  giant,  the  calvario , and  the 
treasure,  remain  undiscovered  to  this  day. 

The  river  Chota  is  exceedingly  rapid.  It  is  fordable 
at  some  places,  but  not  after  a rain  in  the  mountains, 
when  it  rises  immediately,  and  often  inundates  the  ha- 
ciendas on  its  banks,  doing  great  damage.  The  bridge 
which  we  are  now  about  to  pass  divides  the  valley  into 
two  parts,  Chota  Alto  and  Chota  Bajo  (upper  and  lower 

scattered  growth  are  insufficient  to  cover  the  sterile  ground  beneath  them. 
The  stunted  trees  soon  wither,  and  cover  themselves  with  floating  gar- 
lands of  Barba  de  salvage,  to  which  I referred  in  a former  chapter.  In 
fact,  the  resemblance  of  the  Chota  valley  to  that  of  the  Guaillabamba  is 
striking  I may  add  here  that  the  Chota  (or  Mira ) and  the  Guaillabamba 
are  the  only  rivers  in  Ecuador  which  break  through  the  whole  of  the 
western  Cordillera,  carrying  the  snowy  waters  of  Pichincha  and  Cayambi 
into  the  Pacific  Ocean. 


SHAKY  BRIDGES. 


825 


Ohota).  The  bridge  itself  is  a frail  and  trembling 
structure.  It  rests  on  two  solid  abutments  of  masonry, 
but  it  consists  merely  of  logs  stemmed  against  one 
another,  and  against  the  pillars  below,  into  which  the 
principal  logs  are  inserted.  These  latter  are  covered 
with  other  logs,  and  over  these  staves  are  laid  cross- 
wise, and  covered  with  a layer  of  gravel  and  sand. 
Not  to  concentrate  too  heavy  a weight  on  such  a dan- 
gerous contrivance,  it  is  customary  for  the  traveller  to 
dismount  and  pass  it  on  foot,  leading  his  horse  behind 
him.  It  is  a thrilling  sensation  to  walk  high  in  the  air 
over  such  a frail  structure,  trembling  and  shaking 
under  your  steps,  with  no  balustrades  at  your  sides, 
and  the  river  beneath  you,  rushing  on  wildly  as  it  were 
to  death  and  destruction.1  The  river  is  spanned  by 
several  such  bridges,  and  three  or  four  taravitas , a kind 
of  suspension  or  rope-bridge,  which  is  an  Indian  inven- 
tion. It  consists  of  a number  of  cables  twisted  to- 
gether, and  fastened  to  poles  driven  into  the  ground. 
The  passenger  generally  sits  down  in  a basket  and  is 
drawn  across. 

Having  passed  the  bridge  over  the  Chota,  we  find  a 
group  of  miserable  huts,  built  of  reeds,  and  inhabited 
by  a few  sickly  looking  people,  mostly  mulattoes  and 

1 u At  every  step  you  meet  with  valleys,  and  in  every  valley  torrents, 
'the  communication  between  the  two  banks  is  formed  by  bridges  made  of 
two  trees,  across  which  are  thrown  fascines  covered  with  a slight  layer  of 
earth  This  rude  work  trembles  and  seems  ready  to  sink ; there  is  no 
rail,  and,  by  a singular  coincidence,  none  of  these  bridges  are  more  than 
four  feet  wide.  If  one  of  the  rotten  supports  of  these  aerial  bridges  were 
to  break  under  the  horse’s  feet,  the  animal  in  its  struggle  would  drag  the 
rider  into  the  abyss  below,  where  he  would  perish  on  the  pointed  rocks. 
Yet  such  is  the  security  arising  from  habit,  that  people  pass  over  these  frail 
bridges  bv  night  as  well  as  by  day,  and  without  even  feeling  the  least  alarm 
\t  hearing  the  roaring  of  the  waters  below.”  — Travels  in  the  Republic  of 
Colombia  in  the  years  1822  and  1823,  by  ti.  Mollien.  Translated  from  the 
French. 


326  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


negroes.  They  sell  fruit,  such  as  oranges,  sugar  and 
water-melons,  lemons,  limas  (sweet  lemons),  pine- 
apples, plantains,  papayas  (pawpaws),  etc.  Dense  ave- 
nues of  aloes,  pencos , and  other  cacti,  are  now  before 
us  — we  are  in  a tropical  country  again.  The  broad 
leaves  of  the  plantain-tree  throw  shade  on  our  path  ; 
the  orange  glows  among  the  dark  leaves  ; the  agua- 
cate  tree  rises  to  a majestic  height ; the  chirimoya 
looks  temptingly  down  on  the  traveller.  Swarms  of 
mosquitoes,  which  the  natives  call  sancudos , and  sand- 
flies, try  the  extent  of  his  patience,  and  his  energies 
seem  to  fade  away  under  the  influence  of  an  enervat- 
ing sun.  Another  bridge  similar  to  the  one  we  just 
passed,  leads  us  across  the  Chota  Chiquito,  an  affluent 
of  the  great  river.  We  found  another  group  of  huts 
on  the  other  side,  where  we  rested  a few  hours,  and 
partook  of  refreshments.  At  the  first  bridge  we  passed, 
the  road  branches  off  to  Tulcan,  Pasto,  and  Popayan, 
and  soon  leads  you  out  of  the  hot  valley  to  the  high 
table-lands  again,  and  into  districts  much  colder  than 
Latacunga,  Maehachi,  or  Quito.  The  Canton  of  Tul- 
can is  an  agricultural  and  stock-raising  country.  Cheese 
is  made  in  considerable  quantities,  and  brought  down 
into  the  low  valleys  for  sale.  But  let  us,  for  the  pres- 
ent, continue  our  journey  along  the  right  bank  of  the 
Chota. 

Our  way  leads  us  through  a narrow  and  dense  grove 
of  pencos  and  gigantic  cacti,  interspersed  with  mimosas 
and  guarangos , the  protruding  branches  of  which  en- 
danger our  eyes  and  face.  It  would  be  the  simplest 
and  easiest  task  in  the  world  to  cut  these  branches 
away,  and  to  make  the  road  comfortably  passable,  but 
who  should  do  it  ? Every  body’s  business  is  nobody’s 
business.  The  native  is  perfectly  satisfied  if  he  sue- 


SUGAR  MILLS. 


327 


coeds  in  dodging  these  obstructions  and  impediments 
without  injury  to  his  own  person,  and  leaves  those  who 
come  after  him  to  get  along  as  well  as  they  can.  I 
have  often  observed  that  many  of  the  most  dangerous 
places  on  steep  declivities  or  descents  to  river  banks, 
might  be  made  passable  by  one  man  set  to  work  for 
about  two  hours  oHialf  a day,  at  an  expense  of  much 
less  than  a dollar  ; but  it  is  in  the  character  of  the  race 
rather  to  risk  their  legs  or  necks  than  to  trouble  them- 
selves about  public  works,  from  which  no  direct  and 
immediate  profit  can  be  derived. 

Emerging  from  the  grove  of  cacti  and  spines,  we  dis- 
cover that  the  valley  has  suddenly  widened.  On  our 
right  are  the  mountains,  the  sterility  and  baldness  of 
which  surpass  any  thing  I ever  saw ; but  to  our  left 
opens  another  and  lower  plain,  teeming  with  fertility 
and  smiling  with  verdure.  Here  grows  the  sugar-cane 
in  long  and  beautiful  yellow-green  fields,  intersected 
by  parks  of  orange  and  aguacate  trees,  nogales  and 
willows  ; 1 and  through  the  broad  plantain  leaves  peeps 
the  coffee-tree,  which  in  this  part  of  the  country  is 
always  raised  under  the  protection  afforded  by  the 
more  rapid  growth  of  the  plantain.  When  the  young 
tree  has  safely  grown  up,  the  plantains  around  it  are 
cut  down. 

We  stopped  at  a shed  under  which  the  negroes  were 
engaged  at  a sugar  mill.  These  mills  are  set  in  motion 
by  a large  wheel,  propelled  either  by  hydraulic  or  horse 
power.2  The  workmen  employed  are  all  negroes.  The 

1 The  no  gal  is  a species  of  walnut-tree  ( Juglans  regia).  Tt  is  generally 
planted  in  clover  fields,  attains  a considerable  height,  and  presents  a very 
fine  appearance.  In  the  plains  of  Tuinbaco,  Puembo,  and  Yaruqui,  I saw  a 
great  many  of  them. 

2 “ The  hydraulic  works  of  this  country,  principally  for  purposes  of  irri- 
gation and  the  supply  of  towns,  although  not  conducted  with  much  skill, 


328  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


Indians  have  entirely  disappeared  from  the  valley. 
The  negroes,  who  have  taken  their  places,  are  concer 
tados , like  the  Indian  farm  laborers  of  whom  I spoke 
in  the  preceding  chapter.  They  are  slaves  in  fact, 
although  not  slaves  in  name.  Their  services  are  se- 
cured by  a purchase  of  the  debts  which  they  owe.  As 
long  as  they  remain  in  debt,  which*  state,  thanks  to  the 
skillful  management  of  their  masters,  almost  always 
^^^lasts  till  they  discharge  the  great  debt  of  nature,  they 
must  either  work  or  go  to  prison.  Like  the  Indians, 
they  are  ignorant  of  their  legal  rights.  They  are  hardly 
ever  able  to  pay  their  debts,  which,  on  the  contrary, 
continually  increase,  as  their  wages  of  one  half  real  to 
one  real  are  insufficient  to  satisfy  their  wants.  When 
slavery  was  abolished  in  Ecuador,  the  owners  of  the 
negroes  in  the  sugar  districts  immediately  employed 
them  to  work  for  wages,  and  managing  to  get  them 
into  debt,  secured  their  services  as  debtors.  Thus  it 
may  almost  be  said  that  they  profited,  instead  of  losing 
by,  the  abolition  of  slavery.  They  pocketed  the  com- 
pensation which  the  law  provided  for  the  slave  owners, 
and  at  the  same  time  retained  their  slaves.  It  is  true 
the  blacks  do  not  work  so  much  now  as  when  they 
were  bondmen,  nor  can  their  masters  beat  them  as 
mimercifully  as  they  did  before  ; but,  on  the  other 
hand,  it  must  be  considered  that  it  is  much  cheaper 
now  to  purchase  a negro  than  it  was  then.  Now,  by 
paying  a debt  of  fifty  or  seventy  dollars  which  the  poor 

are  really  surprising  from  their  extensiveness,  considering  the  scanty  popu- 
lation. In  many  places  the  water  is  conducted  for  miles,  along  the  sides 
of  precipitous  and  arid  mountains,  its  channel  frequently  cut  in  the  solid 
rock,  for  the  purpose  of  fertilizing  a single  plantation,  and  consequently  at 
the  expense  of  its  proprietor.”  — Notes  on  Colombia , taken  in  the  years 
1822-3 ,by  an  Officer  of  the  United  States  Army  The  construction  of  such 
stupendous  works,  is  considerably  facilitated  by  the  great  cheapness  of 
labor. 


THE  LOST  INDIANS  OF  THE  VALLEY. 


329 


fellow  owes  to  somebody,  bis  services  may  be  secured, 
while  formerly  it  took,  perhaps,  ten  times  that  amount 
to  purchase  a slave. 

The  introduction  of  negro  slaves  into  the  valley  of 
the  Chota  was  caused  by  a most  remarkable  event  — 
a mass  emigration  of  the  Indians  of  the  valley.  In 
the  year  16T9  more  than  11,000  Indians,  tired  of  tyr- 
anny and  oppression,  left  their  habitations  and  took 
refuge  in  the  inaccessible  recesses  of  the  eastern  Cor- 
dillera. The  village  of  Pimampiro,  situated  on  the 
head-waters  of  the  Chota,  which  until  then  was  a thriv- 
ing Indian  settlement,  was  entirely  abandoned  by  its 
population.  There  is  a legend  that  the  retiring  Indi- 
ans took  the  church  bell,  and  some  say  even  the 
curate,  with  them,  and  that  the  sounds  of  that  bell  are 
still  heard  occasionally  in  the  fastnesses  of  the  eastern 
Cordillera.  What  became  of  these  emigrants  has  never 
been  definitely  ascertained.  They  may  have  retired 
to  the  tropical  wilderness  on  the  other  side  of  the  east- 
ern range  of  the  Andes,  or  they  may  have  settled  down 
in  some  intermediate  valley,  or  on  some  out-of-the-way 
table-land.  Numerous  stories  are  afloat  that  some  of 
their  descendants  emerged  from  their  unknown  retreat, 
and  were  seen  on  the  road  to  Tusca  or  Tulcan  in  a 
state  of  absolute  nakedness  and  barbarity,  but  witli 
tools  and  weapons  that  bespoke  their  former  Spanish 
connection.  Whether  these  stories  are  true  or  not,  I 
am  of  course  unable  to  say.  The  general  belief  is  that 
the  emigrants  did  not  go  fai , but  settled  down  in  some 
hidden  valley  a short  distance  from  their  ancient  home 
To  this  belief  the  legend  is  to  be  ascribed  that  the 
sounds  of  their  old  church  bell  are  still  to  be  heard  in 
the  mountain  passes  in  the  rear  of  Pimampiro.  The 


330  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH— AMERICANS. 


story  has,  no  doubt,  a romantic  interest,  reminding  us 
of  the  lost  tribes  of  Israel.1 

In  this  connection  it  may  not  be  out  of  place  to  give 
a short  account  of  the  abolition  of  slavery  in  Ecuador. 
It  was  effected  gradually.  It  was  initiated  by  the  old 
republic  of  Colombia,  of  which  Ecuador  formed  a part 
<\\)  to  the  year  1830.  By  a law  of  the  21st  of  July, 
1821,  it  was  provided  that  the  children  of  slaves,  born 
after  its  publication  in  the  principal  cities  of  the  re- 
public, should  be  free.  They  were  to  be  maintained 
and  educated  by  the  owners  of  their  mothers,  in  con- 
sideration of  which  these  owners  were  entitled  to  the 
services  of  said  children  until  they  became  eighteen 
years  of  age.  In  the  mean  time,  however,  the  parents 
of  such  children  could  withdraw  them  from  the  custody 
of  their  masters,  by  paying  them  a reasonable  com- 
pensation for  the  expenses  incurred  on  their  account. 
Provision  was  also  made  against  the  separation  of  slave- 
children  from  their  parents.  Slaves  could  not  be  sold 
out  of  the  republic,  nor  exported  for  that  purpose.  The 
importation  of  slaves  was  likewise  prohibited.  Travel- 
lers were  not  allowed  to  introduce  more  than  one  slave 
as  a body-servant,  and  if  they  failed  to  take  him  out  of 
the  country  on  their  departure,  he  was  to  be  free. 
Certain  revenues  were  appropriated  to  the  creation  of 
an  emancipation  fund  in  each  district,  to  be  adminis- 
tered by  provincial  “Juntas,”  who  were  to  superintend 
and  direct  the  work  of  manumission.  Out  of  this  fund, 
so  many  slaves  were  to  be  redeemed  every  year,  by 
compensation  to  the  owners,  as  said  fund  would  pay 
for  ; the  value  of  the  slaves  to  be  fixed  by  appraisement, 

l See  Villavicencio’s  Geography  of  Ecuador,  page  221 ; also,  Father  Ve- 
lasco’s History  of  the  Kingdom  of  Quito , vol.  iii.,  book  2,  § 2,  sec.  12  and 
13 ; Quito  edition,  page  45. 


EMANCIPATION. 


331 


and  the  most  industrious  and  honest  of  their  number 
to  be  preferred.  If  there  were  no  slaves  in  one  dis- 
trict, the  fund  raised  therein  was  to  be  applied  to  the 
same  purpose  in  another. 

These  were  the  provisions  of  the  Colombian  law 
which,  considering  the  importance  of  the  subject,  1 
have  given  in  full.  Aside  from  a certain  bungling 
looseness  with  which  almost  all  Spanish- American  laws 
are  drawn,  it  contains  some  very  sensible  regulations, 
and  served  to  lay  a solid  foundation  for  the  work  of 
emancipation,  since  completed  by  the  three  republics 
which  then  constituted  Colombia.  It  must  be  remarked, 
however,  that  as  the  war  of  independence  and  the  fre- 
quent revolutions  which  followed  it,  continually  kept 
the  country  in  financial  embarrassments,  and  compelled 
the  government  to  seize  whatever  funds  it  could  lay 
hands  on,  but  little  good  resulted  from  the  above  men- 
tioned appropriations  to  the  cause  of  emancipation. 

On  the  25th  of  July,  1851,  General  Jose  Maria  Ur- 
bina, as  “ Jefe  Supremo  ” (Supreme  Chief)  of  Ecuador, 
issued  a decree  declaring,  “ That  the  few  slaves  who 
yet  remain  in  bondage  in  this  land  of  the  free,  are  a 
contradiction  of  the  republican  institutions  which  we 
have  achieved  and  adopted  since  1820  ; an  insult  to 
religion,  morality,  and  civilization,  and  a reproach  to 
the  Republic,  its  Legislators,  and  Governors.”  It  then 
provided,  that  until  Congress  should  appropriate  the 
necessary  funds  to  restore  said  slaves  to  freedom,  the 
profits  derived  from  the  government  monopoly  of  sell- 
ing gunpowder  should  be  applied  for  that  purpose,  and 
that  as  often  as  two  hundred  dollars  were  realized  from 
said  branch  of  the  revenue,  in  any  of  the  provinces, 
said  sum  should  be  applied  to  the  redemption  of  the 
oldest  slave  therein,  the  age  to  be  estimated  by  pro- 


332  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


vincial  Juntas  who  were  intrusted  with  the  execution 
of  the  decree.  It  was  also  made  their  business  to  pre- 
pare correct  lists  of  the  names,  ages,  and  occupations 
of  the  slaves,  and  the  names  and  residences  of  the, 
masters  in  their  respective  provinces,  and  to  transmit 
them  to  the  central  government.  A supplemental  de- 
cree regulating  the  manufacture  and  sale  of  gunpowder, 
so  as  to  make  the  revenue  derived  therefrom  more  pro- 
ductive. was  issued  on  the  21st  of  February,  1852. 
The  prime  mover  and  principal  author  of  this  decree, 
was  President  Urbina’s  Secretary  of  State,  afterwards 
Ecuadorian  minister  resident  in  Washington,  the  late 
General  Joseph  Villamil,  a native  of  Louisiana,  of 
French  and  Spanish  descent,  his  father  having  been  a 
Spaniard  and  his  mother  a French  lady.  He  emigrated 
to  South  America  in  1810,  and  took  an  active  part  in 
her  revolution  against  the  mother  country.  In  1820 
he  was  one  of  the  leaders  of  the  conspiracy  which,  by 
a very  skillful  movement,  effected  the  overthrow  of 
the  Spanish  power  at  Guayaquil,  and  thus  destroyed 
the  communication  by  sea  (by  land  no  communication 
was  practicable)  between  the  presidency  of  Quito 
and  the  viceroyalty  of  Peru  ; an  event  which  greatly 
contributed  to  the  subsequent  liberation  of  Peru,  Quito, 
and  New  Granada. 

These  decrees,  however,  being  only  provisional  and 
insufficient,  a law  was  enacted  by  the  National  Assem- 
bly in  September,  1852,  creating  additional  funds  for 
emancipation  purposes,  and  making  it  the  duty  of  slave- 
holders to  report  the  number,  names,  ages,  occupation, 
etc.,  of  their  slaves  to  the  authorities  of  their  respect- 
ive districts,  who  were  to  compile  accurate  lists  from 
the  information  thus  received.  The  slaves  of  such 
owners  as  should  neglect  to  make  said  report  within  a 


ABOLITION  OF  SLAVERY. 


833 


specified  time,  were  declared  free  without  compensa- 
tion to  their  masters.  The  slaves  inscribed  upon  the 
official  registers  were  to  be  appraised  by  two  experts, 
one  to  be  selected  by  the  solicitor  of  the  district,  the 
other  by  the  master  ; the  municipality  to  appoint  an 
umpire  in  cases  of  disagreement,  and  the  appraisement 
not  to  exceed  the  price  originally  paid  by  the  masters. 
Male  slaves  above  the  age  of  sixty-five,  and  female 
slaves  over  sixty  years,  as  well  as  cripples,  were  de- 
clared free  without  indemnity  to  the  masters.  The 
latter,  however,  were  obliged  to  provide  for  them  dur- 
ing their  natural  lives,  or  as  long  as  they  might  choose 
to  remain  with  them.  All  slaves  born  after  the  publi- 
cation of  the  Colombian  law  above  referred  to,  were  to 
be  free  without  compensation  to  the  owners  ; also  the 
slaves  imported  in  contravention  of  said  statute.  Every 
three  months  the  funds  appropriated  for  emancipation 
purposes,  were  to  be  applied  to  the  redemption  of  sla  ves, 
beginning  with  the  oldest  in  every  district,  the  age  to 
be  ascertained  by  experts.  On  the  6th  of  March,  1854, 
slavery  was  to  cease  entirely,  and  if  the  emancipation 
funds  should  not  suffice  to  indemnify  all  the  owners, 
certificates  were  to  be  issued  to  them,  to  be  redeemed 
afterwards,  out  of  the  proceeds  of  the  revenues  appro- 
priated for  these  purposes.  In  most  cases,  however, 
the  compensation  stipulated  by  law,  was  paid  only  to 
special  favorites  of  the  government  ; while  to  all  others, 
certificates  were  issued  which,  like  all  other  certificates 
or  bonds  of  the  domestic  debt  of  Ecuador,  are  doomed 
to  eternal  non-payment. 

Thus  was  slavery  abolished  in  Ecuador ; and  what- 
ever just  censure  may  be  pronounced  on  the  Spanish 
race  in  America  in  other  respects,  it  must  be  admitted, 
that  in  doing  justice  and  making  reparation  to  hu 


334  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH— AMERICANS. 

inanity  in  the  unfortunate  negro  race,  it  has  set  a 
ffiompTanT^u^  Anglo-S^ons  of  the 

^^^^TTflTTTTcTlsoonerTTaa colonies  decia  re  cl 
their  independence,  than  they  took  the  necessary  steps 
for  putting  an  en'd  to  slavery  ; whereas  we  of  the  North 
allowed  the  evil  to  encroach  upon  us,  until  the  Gordian 
knot  could  only  be  cut  by  the  sword. 

'But  let  us  continue  our  journey.  For  miles  we  iioav 
kept  close  to  the  river.  The  path  sometimes  became 
so  narrow  that  it  made  the  head  swim  to  look  into  the 
yawning  abyss  below.  At  some  places  our  road  was 
hardly  eighteen  inches  wide.  At  others,  landslips, 
which  are  continually  taking  place  on  the  brittle 
hill-side,  had  covered  up  the  road  completely,  and 
sand  and  pebbles  were  giving  way  under  our  horses’ 
feet,  and  hurled  into  the  river  below,  as  we  hastily 
passed  over  the  treacherous  debris.  Near  the  place 
where  the  Ambi  joins  the  Chota,  is  the  bridge  of  Santa 
Rosa,  which  had  fallen  in  a short  time  before  my  ar- 
rival, and  was  then  in  process  of  reconstruction. 

A short  distance  from  the  bridge  a valley  opens  on 
the  other  side  of  the  river,  and  discloses  to  our  view 
the  village  of  Salinas.  This  village  is  situated  in  an 
arid  plain,  which  certainly  would  not  have  invited  set- 
tlers, if  it  were  not  for  the  salt  which  is  found  there 
in  great  abundance.  The  soil  for  miles  around  Salinas 
contains  salt.  Even  the  water  which  the  residents  are 
compelled  to  drink  is  brackish.'  To  extract  the  salt 
from  the  soil  is  the  principal  business  of  the  inhabitants. 
It  is  done  in  a very  simple  and  primitive  manner. 
Mounds  of  earth  are  piled  up  around  the  village,  and 
into  these  mounds  a crude  contrivance  for  distilling 
water  is  placed.  The  salt  thus  gained,  which  is  known 
by  the  name  of  “ sal  de  Salinas ,”  is  exported  in  great* 


AN  OCEAN  OF  MOUNTAINS. 


335 


quantities  to  New  Granada  and  Quito.  In  Quito,  how- 
ever, it  is  not  used  for  culinary  purposes.  These 
mounds,  by  which  the  village  is  surrounded,  and  which 
almost  conceal  its  houses  from  our  view,  give  it  the 
aspect  of  a town  of  the  Orient,  such  as  Bethlehem  or 
Nazareth.  To  the  west  and  north  of  Salinas,  the  val- 
ley is  covered  with  sugar  plantations,  but  on  account 
of  the  higher  elevation  of  that  part  of  the  country,  the 
cane  does  not  prosper  so  well  as  in  the  lower  valley  of 
the  Chota,  especially  at  Santa  Lucia  and  Guajara. 

Passing  by  the  opposite  valley  of  Salinas,  or  as  it 
ought  to  be  more  properly  called,  the  valley  of  the 
Ambi,  the  road  leads  us  to  the  summit  of  a mountain 
around  which  the  river  takes  a more  northerly  direc- 
tion, and  we  see  it  before  us  for  miles  ahead,  as  it 
breaks  through  the  Cordillera  in  its  precipitous  course 
to  the  Pacific.  We  are  again  surrounded  by  bald  and 
sterile  mountains  on  all  sides,  and  of  all  shapes  and 
heights.  If  the  waves  of  a tempestuous  ocean  had 
suddenly  been  transformed  into  earth  and  remained 
stationary,  they  could  not  present  a more  grotesque 
and  imposing  appearance.  In  fact,  we  are  now  in  the 
midst  of  an  ocean  of  mountains,  the  silent  monuments 
of  the  great  geological  revolutions  of  our  globe.  At 
last  the  Cordillera  recedes  on  our  right,  and  sugar, 
coffee,  and  cotton  plantations,  orchards,  and  clover 
fields,  relieve  the  monotony  of  the  desert  through 
which  we  have  passed;  The  sight  of  farm  buildings 
is  particularly  pleasing  after  having  travelled  for  miles 
without  meeting  with  a human  habitation.  We  now 
enter  the  parish  de  la  Concepcion,  to  which  the  great 
haciendas  of  Guaquer,  San  Miguel,  Santiaguillo,  Cabu- 
yal,  Concepcion,  La  Loma,  Chamanal,  Santa  Lucia, 
and  others  belong.  Each  of  these  haciendas  is  sur- 


336  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


rounded  by  groups  of  houses  and  huts,  in  which  ne- 
groes, arrieros,  and  other  farm  laborers  live,  and  which 
give  them  the  appearance  of  a little  village.  La  Con- 
cepcion, above  all,  with  its  plaza  and  parochial  church, 
produces  this  impression.  The  soil  is  very  fertile-,  al- 
though it  needs  much  irrigation.  The  water  of  the 
river  is  useless  for  agricultural  purposes,  on  account  of 
the  height  and  steepness  of  its  banks.  Springs  and 
mountain  streams  and  artificial  aqueducts  have  to  be 
resorted  to.  Some  of  the  latter  are  very  extensive. 
The  frequent  landslides  and  settling  of  ridges  and  hills 
often  choke  up  springs,  and  otherwise  interfere  with 
agricultural  progress.  At  places  near  ravines  the  soil 
cannot  be  relied  upon  with  that  certainty  with  which 
our  own  farmers  would  look  upon  a tract  of  land.  In 
this  connection  I shall  relate  an  incident  which  came 
under  my  own  immediate  observation. 

The  day  I arrived  in  the  valley  of  the  lower  Chota, 
I observed  near  Santiaguillo  that  from  one  of  the  curves 
of  a receding  mountain  range,  deep  fissures  and  clefts 
ran  down,  which  had  furrowed  the  earth  on  both  sides 
of  the  road,  and  across  the  same.  These  clefts,  as  I 
was  informed  by  my  guides,  had  opened  recently.  In 
one  of  them  a donkey  had  perished  a few  days  before 
my  arrival.  The  water  of  the  mountain  streams  which 
formerly  passed  over  the  ground  to  join  the  Chota,  now 
lost  itself  in  these  fissures.  A plantain  chacra  (small 
plantation),  which  we  passed,  was  considered  in  immi- 
nent danger,  because  it  was  at  the  foot  of  a hill  which 
the  settling  of  the  soil  around  it  would  certainly  bring 
down.  Several  months  before,  another  hill  had  come 
down  in  the  same  neighborhood.  The  governor  of  the 
province  and  his  son  had  observed  fire  or  burning  gases 
at  night,  which  seemed  to  issue  from  the  soil.  This 


EARTHSLIPS. 


337 


phenomenon,  however,  is  believed  by  the  common  peo- 
ple to  indicate  the  presence  of  hidden  treasures,  and 
many  persons  had  dug  for  them  in  various  parts  of  the 
valley  where  the  mysterious  nocturnal  fires  had  been 
seen.  But  the  fissures  which  I saw,  and  which  we  had 
to  pass,  as  they  intersected  the  road  continually,  were 
the  precursors  of  another  catastrophe.  A few  nights 
* after  my  arrival  at  the  Governor’s  hacienda,  our  com- 
pany, just  before  bed-time,  were  startled  by  a noise 
which  resembled  the  report  of  a heavy  gun.  The 
supposition  of  an  earthslip  instantly  struck  our  minds. 
We  dispatched  a man  on  horseback  to  the  place  where 
the  crevices  had  opened,  but  he  returned  greatly  fright- 
ened, and  reported  that  dense  clouds  of  dust  had  com- 
pelled him  to  retreat.  Next  day  I went  to  the  spot, 
and  found  that  the  hill  had  come  down,  burying  the 
plantain  chacra , and  completely  blocking  up  the  road, 
so  that  the  usual  cargas  of  sugar  and  rum  had  to  take 
another  route  for  several  days  afterward,  until  the  de- 
bris had  been  partially  removed. 

Such  accidents  are  of  common  occurrence  in  the 
highlands  of  Ecuador.  Sometimes  they  take  place  in 
consequence  of  earthquakes  ; sometimes  they  happen 
without  them.  Not  only  are  earthslips  frequent,  but 
also  the  great  mountains  are  said  to  change  their  shapes 
continually  on  account  of  the  tumbling  down  of  ridges 
or  rocks,  or  the  sinking  in  and  disappearance  of  parts 
of  the  peaks.  During  such  great  geological  revolu- 
tions, not  only  hills  and  lakes,  but  even  villages,  have 
disappeared.  The  unfortunate  Indian  village  of  Caclia, 
near  Riobamba,  was  swallowed  up  by  a revolution  of 
the  earth  in  1640,  like  Korah,  Dathan,  and  Abiram,  in 
consequence  of  which  five  thousand  Indians  lost  their  * 
lives  and  were  never  seen  again.  It  is  said  that  shortly 
22 


338  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISII-AMERICANS. 


before  the  catastrophe  the  curate  had  been  called  away 
from  the  village  to  administer  the  last  sacraments  to  a 
dying  Indian  in  the  neighborhood,  and  that  when  he 
returned,  the  village  and  the  lake  near  it  were  gone, 
and  the  curate  coidd  not  even  recognize  the  place 
where  his  house  had  been. 

I established  my  head-quarters . at  Santiaguillo,  an 
hacienda  belonging  to  the  then  governor  of  the  prov- 
ince, which  is  celebrated  for  the  comparative  salubrity 
of  its  climate.  The  mean  temperature  at  midday  was 
83°  Fahr.  in  the  shade.  Black  mosquitoes  and  sand-flies 
were  very  vexatious  in  daytime,  but  only  in  the  open  air. 
In  the  houses  there  were  none.  The  accommodations 
on  haciendas  in  this  part  of  the  country  are  generally 
very  poor.  The  owners  are  very  friendly  and  hospita- 
ble, but  their  farm-houses  are  destitute  of  almost  all 
the  commodities  of  civilized  life.  The  buildings  are 
mostly  dilapidated,  either  from  natural  decay  or  neg- 
lect, or  in  consequence  of  earthquakes.  The  construc- 
tion of  new  buildings  is  a very  slow  work,  continually 
interrupted  by  long  intervals  of  inactivity,  as  I have 
already  indicated.  The  furniture  consists  of  a few 
common  chairs,  tables,  bedsteads,  benches,  and  perhaps 
sofas,  in  the  style  of  the  17th  or  18th  century,  from 
which  they  have  generally  descended  to  the  present 
possessors.  Such  luxuries  as  wash-basins  are  but  sel- 
dom to  be  found.  The  natives  do  not  wash  their  faces 
in  the  country  ; they  do  it  seldom  enough  in  town. 
Tt  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  owners  of  haciendas 
do  not  live  on  them  like  the  farmers  of  North  America. 
Thev  only  visit  them  from  time  to  time,  and  on  such 
occasions,  they  “ rough  it’*  for  a few  days  or  weeks, 
rather  than  incur  unnecessary  expenses. 

There  is  a chapel  at  Santiaguillo  in  which  mass  is 


A SERMON  BY  THE  CURATE. 


339 


said  every  Sunday  by  the  curate  of  the  parish,  whose 
residence  is  at  La  Concepcion,  a great  hacienda  about 
half  an  hour’s  ride  from  Santiaguillo.  Between  the 
first  and  second  parts  of  the  mass,  his  worship  made  a 
speech  to  the  congregation,  in  which  he  complained 
that  some  of  them  had  buried  their  dead  on  the  haci- 
enda without  paying  the  perquisites  of  the  curate.  He 
reminded  them  that  the  cemetery  of  the  parish  was  at 
La  Concepcion ; but  that  for  their  accommodation  he 
had  allowed  them  to  bury  their  dead  at  Santiaguillo, 
but  that  he  had  not  consented  that'  this  should  be  done 
to  his  damage.  If,  therefore,  they  should  continue  to 
inter  on  the  hacienda  without  paying  his  fees,  he  would 
revoke-  his  permission,  and  compel  them  to  take  their 
dead  to  La  Concepcion,  however  inconvenient  this 
might  prove  to  them.  This  was  the  only  sermon 
preached.  During  transubstantiation  the  congregation, 
which  chiefly  consisted  of  negro  farm  laborers  and  their 
wives,  sang  misericordia , Sehor  ! to  the  tune  of  one  of 
their  national  airs.  After  the  service  the  curate  rode 
away  to  say  mass  in  some  other  part  of  his'  dominions. 
Later  in  the  day  he  returned  to  take  part  in  the  games 
of  dice  or  cards,  with  which  Spanish- Americans  gen- 
erally beguile  their  time  when  business  or  pleasure  has 
taken  them  into  the  country.1 

A great  number  of  tolas  of  all  sizes,  chiefly  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Santiaguillo,  denote  that  this  vallev 

1 “On  going  for  a day’s  excursion  from  the  capital,  immediately  on 
reaching  the  place  of  destination  they  hurry  into  a room,  cards  and  dice 
are  instantly  produced,  and  the  whole  time  until  their  departure  for  home 
m the  evening,  with  the  exception  of  the  dinner  hour,  is  sacrificed  to  this 
inveterate  and  pernicious  habit  of  gambling,  instead  of  diverting  their 
mind  and  expanding  their  intellect  by  rational  conversation,  or  remarks  on 
surrounding  objects  or  scenery.” — Journal  of  a Residence  and  Travels  in 
Colombia  during  the  Years  1823-24.  by  Captain  Charles  Stuart  Cochrane : 
London,  1825. 


340  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


was  formerly  inhabited  by  Indian  tribes,  considerably 
advanced  in  some  of  the  arts  of  civilization.  The 
earthen  vessels  and  crockery  - ware  found  in  these 
graves,  are  greatly  superior  in  style  and  workmanship 
to  those  found  in  the  tolas  of  Carranqui.  The  latter 
are  of  but  one  color  — a brownish  red.  Those  of 
Santiaguillo  are  of  a light  yellow  color,  most  sym- 
metrically embellished  with  red  lines,  triangles,  and 
flourishes.  In  one  of  the  graves  I found  several  pieces 
of  tasteful  ornaments  worked  of  shells,  showing  that 
the  Indians  of  this  valley  must  have  been  in  communi- 
cation with  the  sea-coast.  In  the  smaller  graves  one 
skeleton  is  generally  found,  with  a pair  of  bronze  ear- 
rings, and  one  of  the  drinking  vessels  just  described. 
I wanted  to  buy  a pair  of  those  earrings  from  a woman 
who,  assisted  by  her  children,  had  opened  several  of 
the  smaller  tolas ; but  she  insisted  that  the  Incas 
worked  no  metal  but  gold,  and  believing  the  earrings 
to  be  gold,  would  not  sell  them  at  the  liberal  price 
1 had  proposed  to  pay. 

It  'is  a poor  compliment  to  the  civilizing  effect  of 
Spanish  rule,  to  observe  that  the  ancient  Indians  used 
tasteful  and  handsome  drinking  vessels,  and  cooking 
utensils  with  legs  to  stand  over  the  fire,  while  their 
“ civilized  ” descendants  have  returned  to  the  use  of 
the  calabash,  and  while  even  the  cooking  pots  of  tlieii 
white  superiors,  on  account  of  being  pointed  below, 
cannot  stand  over  the  fire  without  being  supported  by 
bricks  or  stones. 

But  the  most  remarkable  antiquities  I saw  in  this 
part  of  the  country,  were  two  forts,  if  such  was  their 
original  destination,  near  the  farm-house  of  Santia- 
guillo, and  at  a distance  of  about  three  or  four  squares 
from  each  other.  They  were  both  in  the  form  of  a 


THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WILDERNESS. 


341 


regular  circle,  as  regular  as  if  a modern  surveyor  had 
laid  it  out.  The  first  consisted  of  an  outer  earth-wall 
about  ten  or  twelve  feet  high,  and  about  three  hundred 
paces  in  circumference  on  the  inside,  and  of  a second 
circular  wall  in  the  centre.  The  circumference  of  the 
latter  was  about  one  hundred  paces  on  its  outside.  In 
the  centre  of  the  second  circle  there  was  an  excavation 
resembling  a well  or  cistern  ; which,  however,  may  have 
been  dug  after  the  conquest  by  persons  in  search  of 
hidden  treasures.  The  second  fort  was  built  entirely 
after  the  same  style,  though  of  lesser  dimensions.  The 
inner  wall,  however,  had  recently  been  taken  down 
and  leveled  by  an  individual  who  had  hired  the  fort, 
temple,  or  tambo,  or  whatever  it  may  have  been,  for 
the  purpose  of  raising  plantains  within  the  inclosure 
afforded  by  the  outer  wall.  The  walls  of  both  works 
were  overgrown  with  green  shrubs  and  arborescent 
plants,  which  pleasantly  contrasted  with  the  sterility  of 
the  surrounding  country. 

From  Santiaguillo  I went  to  the  haciendas  of  La 
Loma,  Chamanal,  and  Santa  Lucia.  The  two  latter 
are  nearly  opposite  Guajara,  which  in  former  times  was 
the  great  breeding-place  for  negro  slaves.  In  the  re- 
motest parts  of  the  country,  such  as  Cuenca  and  Loja, 
Guajara  negroes  may  be  found.  Guajara  is  on  the  left, 
Chamanal  and  Santa  Lucia  are  on  the  right  river  bank. 
They  are  the  last  sugar-growing  establishments  in  this 
direction.  There  are  several  stock-breeding  haciendas 
beyond  them  ; but  after  these  the  wilderness  com- 
mences, penetrated  only  by  the  footpath  to  Peylon,  on 
the  coast.  From  Guajara,  two  journeys  can  be  made 
on  horseback  in  the  direction  of  Peylon  ; then  three 
journeys  must  be  made  on  foot  to  a place  called  La 


342 


FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


Tola,  where  the  river  commences  to  he  navigable  for 
canoes.  The  port  of  Peylon,  and  the  road  from  the 
coast  to  Ibarra,  are  graphically  described  by  Ger- 
staecker  the  German  traveller,  in  his  “ Eighteen 
Months  in  South  America.”  It  would  be  a very  easy 
and  cheap  task  to  construct  a mule  path  from  Guajara 
to  La  Tola.  The  distance  from  Ibarra  to  Peylon  is 
but  twenty-one  leagues,  about  one  third  of  the  dis- 
tance from  Quito  to  Guayaquil.  The  present  footpath 
presents  less  natural  difficulties  and  obstacles  than  the 
footpath  to  Esmeraldas.  Traders  who  take  cheese  and 
other  inland  productions  to  the  coast,  where  they  ex- 
change them  for  gold-dust,  travel  over  it  continually. 
A good  road  from  Ibarra  to  Peylon,  even  if  it  were 
only  a mule  path,  would  be  of  the  most  vital  impor- 
tance to  the  province  of  Imbabura,  which  it  would 
raise  to  the  rank  of  the  first  and  wealthiest  of  the  inte- 
rior. And  yet  so  great  are  the  indolence  and  indiffer- 
ence of  the  Spanish  race,  that  such  a road,  although 
continually  talked  of,  has  never  been  made,  and  will  not 
be  made  for  many  years  to  come.  In  1862,  a company 
of  land-owners  of  Imbabura,  in  concert  with  the  Eng- 
lish company  of  Peylon,  proposed  to  build  a road  to 
that  place  from  Ibarra,  and  applied  to  the  President 
for  the  consent  and  support  of  the  government.  The 
latter  was  then  wasting  the  scanty  means  of  the  gov- 
eminent  on  a few  miles  of  wagon-road  in  the  direction 
of  Guayaquil,  an  enterprise  too  gigantic  ever  to  be 
accomplished  by  a poor  country  like  Ecuador,  without 
the  aid  of  foreign  capitalists.  He  had  also  commenced 
to  construct  a mule  path  to  Esmeraldas  ; but  he  begaji 
the  work  before  a thorough  survey  had  been  made. 
Unforeseen  natural  impediments  presented,  themselves, 


MISTAKEN  POLICY  OF  THE  GOVERNMENT.  343 


and  the  work  had  to  be.  abandoned.  Prejudiced  in 
favor  of  these  two  latter  impracticable  enterprises,  the 
President  received  the  propositions  of  the  Imbabura 
company  very  ungraciously,  and  insisted  on  conditions 
so  unreasonable  and  oppressive,  that  the  company  de- 
sisted from  a further  prosecution  of  their  plan.  One 
of  the  conditions  was  that  the  individual  members  of 
the  association  should  hypothecate  .their  lands  to  the 
government  as  security  that  the  road  should  be  fin- 
ished. Other  negotiations  which  had  previously  taken 
place  between  the  English  company  and  the  Ecuadorian 
government  were  equally  fruitless.  The  English  com- 
pany had  been  formed  by  certain  holders  of  Ecuadorian 
bonds,  who  had  agreed  to  take  waste  lands  in  satisfac- 
tion of  their  claims.  Different  tracts  had  been  assigned 
to  them  on  and  near  the  Pacific  coast,  and  on  the  head- 
waters of  the  Amazons  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  Cor- 
dillera, but  only  of  the  Peylon  lands  has  the  company 
been  able  to  obtain  the  necessary  title  deeds.  The 
Ecuadorian  government  clings  to  these  lands  as  if  thev 
were  worth  any  thing  in  their  present  wild  and  unpop- 
ulated condition.  The  rulers  of  this  country  have  not 
yet  realized  that  a government  does  not  need  to  be  a 
land-owner,  and  that  not  in  waste  lands  and  deserts, 
but  in  a thriving  and  enterprising  population,  the 
strength  and  prosperity  of  a nation  consist.  But  let 
us  return  to  our  subject. 

Almost  all  the  haciendas  in  Chota  Bajo,  formerly  be- 
longed to  the  Jesuits,  until  1767,  when  they  were  con- 
fiscated and  sold  by  the  Spanish  government.  Sugar 
and  rum  are  the  principal  productions  of  the  valley. 
The  rum  is  filled  into  hides.  Two  hides  form  a Botija , 
which  contains  one  hundred  and  sixty  bottles,  and  just 
makes  up  a mule  load.  The  coffee  which  grows  in  the 


344  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


valley  is  excellent,  but  it  is»  not  planted  in  sufficient 
quantities. 

While  I was  at  Chamanal,  the  hospitable  owner  of 
the  hacienda  gave  me  the  spectacle  of  a negro  dance, 
which  is  called  bundi , and  is  exceedingly  interesting. 
The  negroes  of  the  hacienda,  men,  women,  and  chil- 
dren, assembled  in  the  hall,  bringing  with  them  two 
characteristic  musical  instruments  — the  bomba  and  the 
alfandoque.  The  former  is  intended  for  a drum.  It  is 
a sort  of  barrel,  over  which  a hide  is  spanned,  and  to 
beat  which  no  drumsticks  but  the  fingers  or  fists  are 
used  to  make  the  singers  keep  time.  The  alfandoque 
is  a hollow  cane  or  reed,  into  wdiich  a quantity  of 
buckshot,  peas,  or  pebbles  is  put,  wdiereupon  the  open- 
ings are  closed  with  cotton  or  a bundle  of  rags.  Bv 
shaking  this  queer  instrument  a noise  is  produced  sim- 
ilar to  that  made  in  theatres  to  imitate  the  sound  of 
falling  rain.  It  is,  however,  shaken  to  the  time  of  the 
songs,  and  chimes'  in  not  at  all  unpleasantly.  But  the 
main  part  of  the  orchestra  consists  of  the  voices  of 
the  women  and  children,  accompanied  by  the  voice  of 
the  ’player  of  the  alfandoque.  Clapping  their  hands 
continually,  they  sing  a great  variety  of  songs,  to 
which  the  bomba  and  alfandoque  keep  time.  In 
musical  talent  and  taste,  these  negroes  are  infinitely 
superior  to  the  Indians.  Their  melodies  are  neither  so 
monotonous  nor  so  lifeless  as  those  of  the  aborigines. 
On  the  contrary,  fliey  are  varied  and  fiery,  and  full  of 
exciting  vigor.  Their  dance  is  not  the  slow,  measured 
step  of  the  Indians,  but  is  characterized  by  that  wild 
sweeping  and  dashing,  and  the  extravagant  gesticula- 
tion peculiar  to  the  Ethiopian.  They  dance  various 
dances,  some  of  which  are  irresistibly  comic.  In  this 
they  are  of  a higher  inventive  genius  than  the  white 


COMIC  DANCES. 


345 


and  cholo  rabble,  wlio  cannot  advance  beyond  the  slow 
and  monotonous  alza  que  te  han  visto.  There  was  one 
figure  which  was  particularly  funny.  It  was  a pan- 
tomimic representation  of  toros  (bull  - fights).  The 
step  was  that  of  the  alza  que  te  han  visto , although 
much  quicker.  The  woman  dancing  attacks  her  male 
partner,  whom  she  tries  to  butt,  as  if  she  were  a bull. 
He,  without  falling  out  of  time  or  losing  the  step, 
dodges  her.  This  is  continued  for  several  minutes, 
when  the  parts  are  changed  and  the  man  attacks  the 
woman,  who  in  her  tui'n  dodges  him.  Woe  to  the 
partner  who  is  not  quick  enough  to  avoid  the  butt ; its 
force  may  fell  him  to  the  ground.  The  dance  is  gen- 
erally accompanied  by  the  vehement  and  comic  gest- 
ures peculiar  to  the  negro  race.  The  partners  keep 
on  dancing  without  interruption,  one  pair  at  a time, 
until  somebody  else  steps  in  to  relieve  them  ; but  the 
change  of  performers  does  not  interrupt  the  perform- 
ance for  a sino'le  moment,  nor  is  there  an  intermission 
of  the  song.  Even  the  fellow  who  beats  the  bomba 
never  stops.  When  he  is  treated  to  a cup  of  rum, 
some  one  of  the  company  presents  it  to  his  lips,  and  he 
swallows  it  while  his  hands  continue  to  beat  the  drum. 
Perspiration  pours  down  his  face,  but  he  has  no  time 
to  wipe  it  off.  With  the  agility  of  a monkey,  he  keeps 
on  beating  his  bomba  as  long  as  there  is  a pair  not  too 
exhausted  to  keep  up  the  dance.  The  male  partner  in 
a dance  must  keep  on  as  long  as  the  lady  does,  or  until 
somebody  steps  in  to  relieve  him.  At  Esmeraldas  and 
other  places  on  the  coast,  it  would  be  considered  an 
insult  to  withdraw  from  the  dance  without  being  re- 
lieved. The  friends  of  the  lady  thus  injured  would 
be  but  too  apt  to  resent  the  offense  on  the  spot.  Rum, 
as  a matter  of  course,  is  not  spared  on  such  occasions, 


846  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


and  the  excitement  and  enthusiasm  increase  from  hour 
to  hour.  The  din  caused  by  the  shrill  voices  of  the 
women  and  children,  the  drumming,  and  clapping  of 
hands,  and  the  noise  of  the  alfandoque , together  with 
the  occasional  exclamations  of  the  dancers  and  by- 
standers, completely  drowned  the  words  of  their  song. 
I was  unable  to  make  out  any  of  the  verses,  but  my 
companions  told  me  that  the  songs  were  composed  by 
the  negroes  themselves,  and  in  their  own  dialect. 
Like  the  negroes  of  the  United  States,  the  negroes  of 
Spanish- America  have  a dialect  and  pronunciation  of 
their  own.  The  same  guttural  voices,  and  almost  un- 
intelligible pronunciation,  the  same  queer  gesticulation 
and  shaking  of  the  body,  the  same  shrewd  simplicity 
and  good  humor,  the  same  love  of  fun  and  merry- 
making that  characterize  the  negro  in  the  rice  swamps 
and  cotton-fields  of  Georgia  and  South  Carolina,  distin- 
guish his  race  on  the  banks  of  the  Chota,  at  Guajara, 
and  La  Concepcion. 

The  wages  paid  to  workmen  in  trapiches  (sugar  es- 
tablishments), are  one  real  a day ; but  the  laborers  are 
not  entitled  to  the  suit  of  clothes  which  is  given  to  In- 
dian farm  laborers  once  a year.  In  other  respects  their 
situation  and  treatment  are  the  same. 

Insects-  such  as  beetles,  cockroaches,  mosquitoes, 
etc.,  abound  in  the  valley.  Snakes,  too,  are  found,  but 
not  many,  and  it  is  generally  believed  that  they  are  not 
poisonous.  Chills  and  fevers  are  frequent,  although  I 
believe  the  valley  is  healthy,  and  that  diseases  are  con- 
tracted only  by  exposure.  The  sterility  and  barren- 
ness of  the  mountains  continue  as  far  as  the  eye  can 
reach.  It  is  not  until  you  travel  two  or  three  days  in 
the  direction  of  Peylon  that  the  forests  commence.  In 
the  rear  of  the  mountain  range  of  Chamanal,  is  the 


\ 


VIEW  FROM  MOJANDA. 


347 


Cordillera  del  Chiltason , in  which  mines  were  formerly 
worked,  of  which  vestiges  are  still  to  be  found.  But 
at  present,  mining  seems  to  be  abandoned  all  over 
Ecuador.  Both  capital  and  energy  are  wanting  to 
carry  it  on. 

From  the  valley  of  the  Cliota  I returned  to  Ibarra 
and  Otabalo.  Having  come  from  Quito  by  the  Cdmino 
Real  (the  Gnaillabamba  road),  I carried  out  my  origi- 
nal intention  to  return  by  way  of  the  paramo,  although 
this  latter  road,  when  it  rains,  is  one  of  the  most  ter- 
rible breaknecks  in  the  -country.  It  passes  over  the 
mountain  and  paramo  of  Mojanda,  a wild  and  dreary 
scene.  Otabalo  lies  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain,  and 
the  ascent  is  steep  and  slow.  Shrubs  and  bushes,  and 
legions  of  wild-flowers  surround  you ; an  orchestra  of 
birds  pour  forth  a rich  succession  of  sweet  notes  ; at 
your  feet  expands  a most  interesting  landscape  : Lake 
San  Pablo,  separated  by  an  isolated  hill  chain  from  the 
plains  of  Otabalo  ; Cotacachi,  with  Lake  Cuicocha  in 
its  lap,  arid  Mount  Iinbabura  with  its  trachytic  crown, 
give  you  a parting  look  of  romantic  sadness ; the 
plains  of  Hatuntaqui  and  Ibarra  in  the  distance,  and 
mighty  ranges  of  the  Cordillera  on  all  sides  ; — it  is  a 
view  amply  indemnifying  you  for  the  slowness  and 
difficulty  of  the  ascent;  a view  from  which  I tore  my- 
self with  regret,  because  the  melancholy  thought  crept 
over  my  soul  that  I should  never  see  it  again.  I shall 
return  to  home  aiid  friends,  and  to  the  scenes  of  active 
life  and  enterprise  ; I shall  leave  for  ever  behind  me 
this  remarkable  country  in  the  stillness  of  its  indolent 
decay,  frowned  upon  by  the  grave  majesty  of  its  moun- 
tains ; and  the  scenes  through  which  I passed  will  be  to 
me,  in  years  to  come,  but  the  “ memory  of  a departed 
dream.”  But  it  was  a beautiful  dream  ; and  the  hoary 


348  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


crowns  of  those  giants  of  the  Cordillera,  the  highland 
lakes  and  mountain  streams,  the  Indian’s  humble  hut 
and  the  crumbling  temples  of  a bygone  age,  the  long 
rows  of  aloes  in  the  plains  below,  and  the  dreary  grass 
of  the  paramo  on  high,  will  forever  live  in  my  recol- 
lection, although  my  foot  shall  no  longer  tread  the  vir- 
gin soil  of  this  hidden  land,  and  the  voice;  of  the  arriero, 
scrambling  up  the  craggy  mountain  passes,  no  longer 
strikes  my  ear.  No  scenery  has  ever  made  such  a 
lasting  and  intense  impression  on  my  mind  as  the 
'"highlands  of  the  Andes,  and  especially  the  province 
of  Imbabura.  I shall  treasure  it  up  as  one  of  the 
fondest  reminiscences  of  my  life,  and  I shall  give  it  a 
last  lingering  remembrance  in  the  final  hour  of  my 
dying  day. 

The  view  I have  described  is  soon  lost  sight  of  as 
you  enter  the  dreary  region  of  the  paramo,  where 
almost  no  vegetation  greets  you  except  the  high  and 
dry  grass  which  the  natives  call  paja  (straw).  Nu- 
merous herds  of  cattle  are  found  grazing  in  these  ele- 
vated  regions.  The  dreariness  of  the  scene  is  enhanced 
by  a queer-looking  ghastly  bird,  which  the  Indians  call 
“ uruquingui ,”  a species  of  hawk  or  buzzard,  with  a 
long,  yellow-red  bill.  The  bird  does  not  seem  to  mind 
the  approach  of  travellers.  It  stares  at  them  until 
they  can  almost  strike  it  with  their  whips,  when  it 
slowly  prepares  to  fly  away. 

Crossing  the  heath  near  the  summit  of  the  moun- 
tain, Lake  Mojanda  is  reached,  the  aspect  of  which 
strikes  awe  and  almost  terror  to  the  soul.  It  forms 
one  of  the  wildest,  and  at  the  same  time  one  of  the 
most  melancholy  views  I beheld  in  Ecuador.  A lake 
of  an  extension  nearly  equal  to  that  of  San  Pablo, 
almost  on  the  summit  of  a mountain,  surrounded  on 


THE  PLAIN  OF  MALCHINGUI. 


349 


three  sides  by  bleak,  perpendicular  rocks,  with  only  a 
dwarf  vegetation  on  its  shores  and  on  the  precipitous 
crags  by  which  it  ' is  hemmed  in  ; the  atmosphere  cold 
and  chilling ; the  water  clear  and  rippling ; not  a single 
human  habitation,  not  even  a solitary  Indian  hut,  to 
be  descried  as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach  — all  is  loneli- 
ness, wildness,  and  desert. 

Passing  the  caldron  in  which  the  lake  is  situate, 
another  smaller  valley  opens  before  us,  with  Little 
Mojanda  in  it.  This  latter  hardly  deserves  the  name 
of  a lake  ; it  having  the  appearance  of  a gloomy  pond 
of  stagnant  water,  surrounded  by  dreary  hills  over- 
grown with  paramo  grass.  About  half  a league  from 
the  lake  the  descent  of  the  mountain  range  commences. 
At  its  foot  is  the  sandy  plain  of  Malchingui,  with  the 
village  of  the  same  name.  For  miles  around  we  see 
nothing  but  sandy  plains,  with  sickly  attempts  at  culti- 
vation of  peas,  corn,  and  clover.  The  plain  is  suddenly 
interrupted  by  the  deep  defile  through  which  the  river 
Gnaillabamba  rushes  on  in  the  direction  of  the  village 
of  Perucho.  It  takes  more  than  an  hour  to  descend 
to  the  bridge.  Before  reaching  the  latter,  a gently 
declining  plain  has  to  be  passed,  covered  with  fields  of 
sugar-cane,  cayenne-pepper,  corn,  and  clover.  This 
is  the  great  hacienda  of  Alchipichi,  noted  for  the  benig- 
nity of  its  climate  — warm  without  being  hot,  and 
producing  tropical  fruits  without  the  tropical  incon- 
veniences of  insects  and  fevers.  The  cane  raised  at 
Alchipichi  cannot  be  compared  to  that  of  the  Cliota, 
but  the  proximity  of  Quito  makes  it  very  profitable. 

The  scenery  and  vegetation  of  the  Guaillabamba, 
which  we  now  pass,  I have  already  described.  After 
a tedious  ascent  on  the  other  side,  other  sandy  plains  of 
a most  melancholy  character  open  before  us.  These 


350  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


are  the  plains  of  San  Antonio  and  Pomasqui.  At  the 
latter  place,  in  spite  of  the  apparent  aridity  of  the  soil, 
clover  for  horses  grows  exceedingly  well.  After  leav- 
ing Pomasqui,  the  aspect  of  the  country  begins  to  im- 
prove, until  we  reach  the  village  of  Cotocollao,  about 
two  leagues  from  the  capital.  Here  green  fields  and 
smiling  cultivation  surround  us  again,  and  nothing 

ZD  ZD  1 O 

seems  to  be  wanting  but  an  energetic  population  to 
apply  the  great  contrivances  of  modern  genius  to  a 
most  promising  soil,  and  the  healthiest  climate  in  the 
world. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


HISTORICAL  REVIEW. 

Indian  Traditions.  — Difficulties  of  Estimating  Ancient  Indian  Civilization. 
— Scarcity  of  Materials.  — Destruction  of  Indian  Civilization  by  the 
Spaniards.  — The  Religious  Element  of  the  Conquest.  — Fray  Marcos  de 
Niza. — Persecution  of  the  Indian  Writer  Collahuaso.  — The  Old  Quitu 
Nation. — Its  Conquest  by  the  Carans.  — The  Giants  of  Punta  Santa 
Helena.  — The  Ancient  Kings  or  Scvris  of  Quito.  — Romantic  Legend 
of  Condorazo.  — Invasion  of  the  Peruvian  Incas.  — Cacha  Duchicela. 
the  last  of  the  Scvris.  — His  Heroic  Resistance  against  the  Inca  Huay- 
nacapac.  — Battle  of  Hatuntaqui.  — Death  of  the  last  of  the  Scyris. — 
His  Daughter  Pacha.  — Death  of  Huavnaeapac.  — War  between  his 
Sons,  Huascar  and  Atahuallpa.  — Battle  of  Quipavpan.  — Defeat  and 
Capture  of  Huascar.  — Arrival  of  the  Spaniards  under  Francisco  Piz- 
arro.  — Capture  and  Execution  of  Atahuallpa.  — Downfall  of  the  Pe- 
ruvian Empire.  — Usurpation  and  Cruelty  of  Ruminagui  at  Quito. — 
Benalcazar’s  Expedition  to  Quito.  — Genius  of  Rumihagui.  — Battle  of 
Tiocajas.  — Evacuation  and  Destruction  of  Quito  by  Rumihagui. — The 
Virgins  of  the  Sun.  — Horrid  Cruelty  of  the  Spaniards.  — Execution 
of  Rumihagui.  — Indian  Slavery.  — Encomiendas  and  Repartimientos. 

— Spanish  Colonization.  — The  Blue  Laws  of  Spanish  America.  — Pro- 
tective Legislation.  — Pedro  de  Puelles.  — Revolution  of  the  Colonists. 

— Gonzalo  Pizarro.  — Battle  of  Quito.  — Death  of  the  Viceroy.  — 
Death  of  Gonzalo  Pizarro.  — Revolution  and  Execution  of  Hernandez 
Giron.  — The  Cause  of  the  Indians  Abandoned.  — Plan  for  a Continua- 
tion of  this  History. 

I have  already  said  that  the  Indians  of  Quito  have 
lost  their  ancient  traditions.  While  the  Indians  of 
Cuzco,  and  generally  throughout  the  interior  of  Peru, 
delight  in  the  remembrance  of  the  great  Empire  of 
the  Sun,  and  its  many  legends,1  which  they  have  pre- 

1 See  Markham’s  Cuzco  and  Lima ; also:  Travels  in  Peru  and  India,  by 
the  same  author;  and  Stephenson’s  Twenty  Tears'  Residence  in  South  Amer- 
ica. The  latter  work  is  now  out  of  print. 


352  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


served  in  spite  of  the  prohibitions  of  the  colonial  des- 
potism of  Spain,  those  of  Quito  have  retained  nothing 
beyond  a general  impression  that  there  was  a time  once 
when  they  were  the  masters  and  sole  inhabitants  of  the 
country.  The  precise  period  when  they  began  to  for- 
get the  traditions  of  their  race,  it  is,  of  course,  impos- 
sible to  ascertain.  In  the  seventeenth  century,  they 
were  still  preserved.  In  the  record  books  of  the 
Municipality  of  Quito,  I found  the  description  of  a 
great  celebration  which  began  on  the  26th  of  Febru- 
ary, 1631,  and  lasted  several  days,  in  honor  of  the 
birth  of  Charles  II.,  the  news  of  which  had  then  ar- 
rived. On  that  occasion,  the  inevitable  bull-fights 
were  varied  by  the  addition  of  a grand  Indian  panto- 
mime, representing  the  triumph  of  the  Inca  Huayna- 
capac  over  the  Quijos,  who  had  risen  in  rebellion  against 
him.  In  the  eighteenth  century,  frequent  subleva- 
tions  of  Indians  took  place,  which,  though  attributable 
to  merely  local  causes,  may  have  been  promoted  by 
the  memory  and  proper  understanding  of  their  ancient 
independence,  and  the  manner  in  which  it  was  wrested 
from  them.  At  present,  however,  no  vestige  of  such 
knowledge  remains.  It  is  true  they  have  dances  and 
ceremonies  which  are  evidently  of  heathenish  origin, 
but  the  original  signification  of  which  they  have  for- 
gotten. 

It  must  forever  be  deplored,  that  among  the  Spanish 
^ehnquerors  there  were  no  men  of  discernment  and 
mental  culture,  who  might  have  given  us  a clearer  in- 
sight into  the  civilization  and  history  of  the  Indians  of 
those  times.  What  little  we  know  of  the  reign  of 
Huaynacapac  and  his  predecessors,  and  of  the  civil 
wars  between  his  two  sons,  Huascar  and  Atahuallpa, 
is  perhaps  worse  than  hearsay.  Garcilazo  de  la  Vega, 


SPANISH  INDIFFERENCE  TO  INDIAN  HISTORY.  353 


the  principal  and  most  favored  authority  on  Peruvian 
antiquities  and  traditions,  wrote  his  book  from  what,  in 
after  years,  he  remembered  to  have  heard  in  his  early 
youth  from  *his  mother,  an  Indian  princess,  and  an  old 
uncle,  who  was  one  of  the  royal  family.  He  had 
left  the  land  of  his  birth  at  the  age  of  twenty,  and  not 
until  after  long  years  of  an  adventurous  life,  which 
must  more  or  less  have  obliterated  or  confused  his  rec- 
ollections, did  he  sit  down  to  write  his  “ Comentarios 
Reales”  He  was  prejudiced,  by  his  very  descent  from 
the  Cuzco  line,  against  Atahuallpa  and  the  Quito  line  ; 
and  in  his  mind  the  superstitions  of  the  new  faith  were 
blended  with  the  traditions  of  the  old.  The  conquer- 
ors themselves  were  not  even  able  to  give  a clear 
account  of  their  own  doings : how  much  less  can  their 
statements  be  relied  on  when  they  refer  to  a people 
with  whose  language,  idiosyncrasies,  opinions,  and  cus- 
toms they  were  entirely  unacquainted.  With  few  ex- 
ceptions, the  Spanish  conquerors  were  the  dregs  of 
ignorant  and  superstitious  Spain.  They  were  desper- 
ate men,  who  had  nothing  to  lose  and  everv  thing  to 
gain.  What  did  they  care  for  the  intellectual  condi- 
tion and  historical  traditions  of  a race  which  tjiey  had 
come  to  enslave ! To  them,  Indian  civilization  was  an 
abominable  idolatry,  which  they  considered  themselves 
bound  not  to  study,  but  to  extirpate.  The  principal, 
and  in  many  cases  the  only,  question  which  they  put 
to  the  natives,  was  where  they  had  hidden  their  gold. 
Their  chief  inquiry  was  for  mines.  These  questions 
they  enforced  by  a system  of  most  cruel  tortures, 
which  the  pen  shrinks  from  recording.  The  Indians, 
on  the  other  hand,  were  not  likely  to  communicate  to 
their  tormentors  what  to  the  philosophic  investigation 
of  posterity  would  have  been  infinitely  more  interest- 
23 


6i)  i FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


ing  tlian  apocryphal  stories  of  buried  treasures.  Com- 
municativeness is  not  a trait  in  the  character  of  the 
Ecuadorian  Indians.  They  hardly  ever  return  a di- 
rect  answer.  They- are  noted  for  their  ability  to  keep 
the  secrets  of  their  race.  I was  often  struck  by  their 
propensity  to  evade  the  simplest  and  most  insignificant 
questions  ; and  it  is  not  at  all  probable  that  those  who, 
like  Ruminagui  and  his  captains,  endured  the  most  cruel 
torments  rather  than  disclose*  where  their  treasures 
were  hidden,  should  have  volunteered  information  to 
their  conquerors  on  subjects  which  the  latter  cared  but 
little  to  know.  It  is  but  too  well  known  that  the  In- 
dians shunned  the  society  of  the  Spaniards,  to  whose 
presence  in  the  country  they  owed  all  their  misery  and 
sufferings.  This  antipathy  was  but  the  natural  conse- 
quence of  the  treatment  which  they  had  received.*  I 
frequently  noticed  that  one  may  travel  for  miles  with 
an  Indian  guide  or  companion,  without  his  volunteer- 
ing information  on  any  subject.  It  cannot  be  won- 
dered at,  under  these  circumstances,  that  every  thing 
relating  to  the  Spanish  conquest  in  America  is  in- 
volved in  uncertainty.  The  opportunities  to  collect 
information,  on  subjects  of  incalculable  interest  for  the 
history  of  human  civilization,  were  thrown  away  by 
the  "Ignorance,  brutality,  cupidity,  and  cruelty  of  the 
"Spanish  conquerors.  It  is  true,  there  were  some  men 
among  them  who,  restrained  bv  the  vows  of  holv 
orders,  cared  less  for  amassing  riches  than  for  the  pro- 
tection and  conversion  of  the  poor  natives,  and  the 
acquisition  of  some  knowledge  concerning  their  cus- 
toms, traditions,  and  form  of  government  and  society. 
Among  those  men  Fray  Marcos  de  Niza,  who  accom- 
panied Benalcazar  on  his  expedition  to  Quito,  deserves 
to  be  honorably  mentioned.  From  his  writings,  all  the 


SPANISH  HISTOPJANS. 


355 


materials  with  reference  to  the  antiquities  of  Quito, 
the  history  of  the  ancient  Scyris,  the  conquest  of  their 
land  by  the  Incas,  and  afterward  by  the  Spaniards, 
are  drawn.  He  is,  in  a measure,  to  Quito  what  Gar- 
cilazo  de  la  Vega  is  to  Cuzco.  Unfortunately,  I have 
been  unable  to  procure  a copy  of  his  works.  I even 
doubt  whether  they  have  ever  been  printed.  Bravo 
Saravio,1  who  largely  copied  from  them,  availed  him- 
self of  the  original  manuscripts.  From  this  latter 
author,  and  Chieza  de  Leon,  Father  Velasco  compiled 
his  ancient  history  of  Quito,  to  which  I was  frequent- 
ly, although  reluctantly,  obliged  to  resort.  But  with  all 
due  deference  to  the  goodness  and  humanity  of  Father 
Marcos  de  Niza,  the  question  must  suggest  itself 
whether  a Spanish  monk  of  the  sixteenth  century  was 
a proper  person  to  collect,  sift,  and  present  those  ma- 
terials which  are  indispensable  to  what  we  now  under- 
stand by  studying  and  writing  history.  The  Spanish 
monks  who  accompanied  the  conquerors  were  certainly 
not  superior  to  the  spirit  of  their  age.  They  believed 
the  miracles  of  their  own  church,  and  they  also  be- 
lieved the  miracles  of  which  the  Inchan  religions 
boasted.  The  former,  in  their  opinion,  were  wrought 
by  the  saints  and  the  Virgin  ; the  latter  by  the  Evil 
One.  When  they  set  themselves  to  study  the  civiliza- 
tion of  the  conquered  races,  they  did  not  begin  their 
task  with  the  impartiality  of  one  who  sincerely  seeks 
for  truth,  but  they  allowed  themselves  to  be  guided  by 
two  objects.  The  first  was  to  trace  the  doings  of  the 
Devil  in  the  history  and  religions  of  the  pagan  In- 
dians ; the  second  was  to  discover  in  the  Indian  tradi- 
tions of  the  past  and  their  then  civilization,  evidences 
of  heavenly  endeavors  to  impart  to  those  benighted 
1 Antiguidades  Peruanas. 


856  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


nations  some  glimpses  of  the  dogmas  of  the  Church  of 
Rome.  A vague  notion  that  two  of  the  Apostles  must 
have  visited  various  parts  of  America  haunted  their 
minds.1  The  traces  of  Catholic  rites  were  eagerlv  sought 
for  in  the  religious  ceremonies  and  edifices  of  the  hea- 
tliens  ; and  when  supposed  resemblances  were  found, 
they  were  attributed  either  to  the  visit  of  the  apostles 
St.  Thomas  and  St.  Bartholomew,  or  to  the  eagerness 
of  Satan  to  copy  the  signs  and  rites  of  the  church 
against  which  he  eternally  militates.2  Relations  in  the 
language  of  the  Indians,  which  the  missionaries  could 
have  but  imperfectly  understood,  or  which  they  heard 
through  the  medium  of  unlettered  and  unreliable  in- 
terpreters,  were  either  misunderstood,  or,  as  the  wish 
is  often  father  to  the  thought,  consciouslv  or  uncon- 
sciously  misinterpreted.  Ancient  prophecies  of  the 
victorious  advent  of  foreign  invaders,  with  long  beards, 
were  profusely  discovered.  The  superstition  of  the 
converters  fed  on  the  superstition  of  the  converted,  in- 
stead of  investigating  the  natural  causes  from  which  it 
arose.  So  strong  was  this  tendency,  that  it  infected 
not  only  the  ecclesiastical,  but  also  the  lay  historians 
of  those  times.3  The  belief  in  a continuous  super- 
natural interference  reigned  supreme.  Visions  of 
saints,  fighting  against  legions  of  demons,  were  seen  in 
the  air  by  the  Spanish  warriors  during  many  a battle 
with  the  Indians.  The  thatched  roof  of  the  Spanish 
fort  at  Cuzco,  which  the  Indians  endeavored  to  set  on 

1 Velasco,  Historia  del  Reino  de  Quito,  vol.  i.,  lib.  4,  § 6. 

2 See  Herrera,  dec.  v.,  lib.  iv.,  cap.  5;  also,  cap.  4.  Garcilazo,  HistoHa 
General  del  Peru , lib.  i.,  cap.  30:  also,  Solorzano,  Politica  Indiana , part  i., 
book  i.,  ch.  7,  and  authors  there  quoted. 

3 As  to  the  tendency  of  a change  of  religion  to  corrupt  the  early  history 
of  an  uncivilized  country,  and  to  obscure  and  adulterate  its  ancient  tradi- 
tions, see  Buckle’s  History  of  Civilization  in  England , vol.  i.,  ch.  vi.,  pp. 
218-222  (American  edition)  and  the  examples  there  cited. 


CATHOLIC  TRADITIONS. 


357 


fire  as  often  as  they  returned  to  the  attack,  would  not 
burn  because  the  Virgin  stood  on  it  putting  out  the 
flames.1  St.  James,  the  apostle,  mounted  on  a splendid 
white  steed,  and  armed  with  a sword  of  lightning, 
charged  the  Indians  in  person,  killing  and  wounding 
them  bv  hundreds.2  The  Holv  Virgin  frustrated  the 
night  attacks  of  the  natives,  by  appearing  in  a circle 
of  radiant  light,  and  throwing  dust  in  the  eves  of  the 
besiegers  of  Cuzco.3  The  lion  and  the  tiger,  let  loose 
on  Pedro  de  Candia  at  Tumbez,  crouched  before  him 
in  the  dust,  because  he  was  armed  with  the  holy  cross.4 
The  demons,  who  had  held  familiar  converse  with 
the  Indians  before  the  arrival  of  the  Spaniards,  were 
struck  dumb  as  soon  as  mass  was  said  in  Peru  ; and 
only  in  the  dead  of  night,  and  secretlv,  they  dared  to 
speak  to  the  principal  sorcerers  in  whose  service  they 
were.5  Not  the  terror  of  fire-arms,  so  dreadful  to  the 
Indians,  who  believed  the  invaders  to  be  masters  of 
thunder  and  lightning ; not  the  fearful  havoc  caused 
by  those  unknown  four-legged  monsters  on  which  the 
conquerors  dashed  over  the  battle-fields,  with  a speed 
which  their  unfortunate  adversaries  could  not  compre- 
hend ; not  the  effect  of  iron  and  steel  on  the  almost 
naked  bodies  of  the  helpless  natives  : not  the  superior- 
ity of  civilization,  military  skill,  and  discipline,  brought 
victory  to  the  arms  of  Castile  ; but  it  was  the  direct 
interference  of  the  Virgin,  the  Apostles,  and  saints. 

The  subsequent  policy  of  the  Spanish  government, 
and  its  colonial  officials,  was  not  calculated  to  promote 
the  study  and  preservation  of  Indian  traditions.  In  the 
eighteenth  century  an  Indian  Cacique  of  Ibarra,  Don 

1 Gareilazo,  Hist.  Gen.  del  Ptru , lib.  ii.,  cap.  25. 

2 Ibid.  caps.  24  and  25.  3 Ibid. 

4 Ibid.  lib.  i.,  caps.  11  and  12. 

• Ibid.  lib.  i.,  cap.  30.  Gomara,  Hist.  Gen.,  cap.  34. 


358  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


Jacinto  Collahuaso,  wrote  a book  called  the  “ Civil  Wars 
of  Huascar  and  Atahuallpa,”  which  is  said  to  have 
contained  many  traditions  that  had  escaped  the  atten- 
tion of  Fray  Marcos  de  Niza.  But  the  Corregidor  of 
Ibarra,  indignant  at  the  presumption  of  an  Indian  to 
write  a book,  and  on  subjects  which  might  prove  dan- 
gerous to  the  tranquillity  and  submissiveness  of  the 
aborigines,  confiscated  and  publicly  burned  the  work, 
and  imprisoned  the  author.  Many  years  after  this 
persecution,  Collahuaso,  encouraged  by  his  confessor, 
a Dominican  monk,  re-wrote  the  most  essential  parts 
of  his  narrative,  and  a written  copy  of  this  reproduc- 
tion came  into  the  possession  of  Father  Velasco,  who 
was  personally  acquainted  with  the  cacique.  It  does  not 
seem  to  have  been  printed,  and  manuscript  copies  of 
if  are  no  longer  extant  at  Quito. 

Considering  all  these  circumstances,  the  extreme 
scarcity  of  the  materials,  the  paucity  of  authentic  and 
contemporaneous  documents,  and  the  ignorance  of  the 
Spanish  conquerors,  of  whom  many,  like  Pizarro  and 
Almagro,  could  neither  read  nor  write,  while  the  more 
learned  among  them  were  influenced  by  the  preju- 
dices and  superstitions  to  which  I have  referred,  it  is 
with  feelings  of  great  diffidence  that  I propose  to  give 
a brief  review  of  the  early  history  of  Quito.  Of  the 
old  Quitu  nation  which  inhabited  the  highlands  to  the 
north  and  south  of  the  present  capital,  nothing  is  known 
to  tradition  but  the  name  of  its  last  king,  Quitu , after 
whom  his  subjects  were  probably  called.  His  domains 
were  invaded  and  conquered  by  the  nation  of  the  Car/is , 
or  Carans , who  had  come  by  sea  in  balsas  (rafts)  from 
parts  unknown,  and  landing  on  the  coast  of  Esme- 
raldas,  followed  the  course  of  that  river,  ascending  the 
western  cordillera  of  the  Andes,  until  they  reached 
the  table-lands  of  Picliincha. 


THE  ANCIENT  GIANTS. 


359 


According  to  ancient  traditions,  they  were  induced 
to  leave  their  settlements  on  the  coast  by  the  arrival 
of  a number  of  formidable  giants,  who  had  also  come 
in  balsas,  nobody  knew  whence,  and,  landing  at  Punta 
Santa  Elena,  established  themselves  in  the  provinces  of 
the  Car  am.  When  the  Spaniards  arrived  in  Peru, 

a tradition  that  a race  of  giants  had  come  to  the  coun- 
try many  centuries  before,  was  general.1  By  the 
ignorant,  in  many  parts  of  Ecuador,  this  fable  is  be- 
lieved to  the  present  day.  It  is  also  adopted  by 
Father  Velasco,  who  makes  a serious  and  elaborate 
attempt  to  prove  its  historical  truth.  These  giants  are 
said  to  have  brought  no  women  with  them,  and  to  have 
become  so  wicked  that  they  were  at  last  destroyed 
by  fire  from  heaven.  Certain  ruins  of  a style  entirely 
different  from  the  architecture  of  the  Incas,  and  wells 
sunk  deep  through  rocks,  discovered  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  Punta  Santa  Elena,  are  attributed  to  their 
herculean  efforts.2  Bones  of  uncommon  size,  which 
nave  also  been  discovered  there,  and  which,  according 

1 Herrera,  dec.  iv.,  lib.  *ii.,  chap.  7.  Zarate,  Hist,  del  Descubrimiento 
y Conquista  del  Peru;  Madrid,  1577,  chap.  v.  Garcilazo  de  la  Vega,  Cu- 
mentarios  Reales,  book  ix.,  chap.  9.  “ At  Punta  Santa  Elena,  as  well  as  at 
Manta,  large  bones  have  been  met  with.  In  a paper  of  mine,  read  at  the 
Geological  Society,  on  the  fossil  bones  of  the  Mastodon  in  Chili,  I have 
adverted  to  the  bones  found  at  the  above  places.  Stephenson  saw  a 
grinder  from  this  spot  which  weighed  five  pounds  three  ounces,  the  enamel 
spotted  like  the  female  tortoise-shell.”  — Bollaert,  Antiquarian,  Ethnological, 
and  other  Researches  in  New  Granada , Ecuador , Peru , and  Chili;  London, 
1860.  Large  fossil  bones  have  also  been,  and  are  still  being,  found  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Riobamba,  in  the  province  of  Chimborazo.  The  same 
story  of  a race  of  giants,  who  had  infested  the  country  long  before  the 
arrival  of  the  Spaniards,  was  also  current  in  Mexico.  See  Torquemada, 
Monarquia  Indiana,  vol.  i.,  book  i.,  chap.  13. 

- Villavicencio  says,  in  his  Geography  of  Ecuador,  that  two  leagues  north 
of  Monte  Cristo,  in  the  district  of  Manta,  on  the  flat  summit  of  a low 
mountain,  is  a circle  of  thirty  stone  seats,  with  arms,  and  that  in  all  proba- 
bility they  were  used  on  solemn  occasions  by  the  chiefs  of  Cara . ere  they 
conquered  Quito. 


360 


FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


to  Humboldt,  are  44  enormous  remains  of  unknown 
cetaceous  animals,”  confirmed  the  common  belief  in 
this  fabulous  tradition ; although  it  is  evident  that 
instead  of  the  bones  being  attributable  to  giants, 
the  giants  must  be  attributed  to  the  discovery  of  the 
bones.  It  was  an  easy  way  for  the  credulous  and  the 
unscientific  to  account  for  the  existence  of  large  fossils 
which  they  could  not  otherwise  explain.1  The  giants 
in  question  are  said  to  have  been  anthropophagi,  each 
devouring  about  fifty  victims  a day,  and  so  enormou-sly 
tall  they  were,  that  common  mortals  only  reached  up 
to  their  knees.  Whether  the  Carans  were  frightened 
from  the  coast  by  those  apocryphal  monsters,  or 
whether  they  left  because  of  its  unhealthy  climate,  the 
fact  seems  to  be  that  they  easily  reduced  the  Quitu 
nation,  to  which  they  were  superior  in  the  rudiments 
civilization.  The  Carans  are  said  to  have  con- 
structed temples  and  other  edifices,  although  their 
architecture  was  inferior  to  that  of  the  Peruvian  In- 
cas. Father  Velasco’s  statement,  that  they  knew  how 
to  construct  arches  and  vaulted  roofs,  seems  to  be  with- 
out foundation,  like  so  many  assertions  of  the  credulous 
Padre.  They  knew  how  to  cut  precious  stones,  of 
which  the  emerald2  was  held  in  greatest  esteem;  a 

1 In  Europe,  the  discovery  of  such  bones  had  given  rise  to  similar  le- 
gends. “ The  first  application  of  the  principles  of  comparative  anatomy 
to  the  study  of  fossil  bones,  was  the  work  of  a Frenchman,  the  celebrated 
Daubenton.  Hitherto,  these  bones  had  been  the  object  of  stupid  wonder; 
some  saying  that  they  were  rained  from  heaven,  others  saving  that  they 
were  the  gigantic  limbs  of  the  ancient  patriarchs  — men  who  were  believed 
to  be  tall  because  they  were  known  to  be  old.  Such  idle  conceits  were  for- 
ever destroyed  by  Daubenton,  in  a memoir  he  published  in  1762.”  — Buckle, 
fiislory  of  Civilization  in  England,  vol.  i.,  p.  634  (American  edition). 

2 4>  I was  surprised  not  to  see  emeralds  at  Guayaquil,  when  at  the  con- 
quest they  were  so  abundantly  found  in  Equador.  This  gem  cannot  have 
disappeared,  but  awaits  intelligent  searchers,  particularly  as  we  now  knoAV 
its  geological  position.  Emeralds  were  obtained  in  considerable  quanti- 
ties from  the  river  Tucamez ; and  the  river  Ksmeraldas  is  said  to  be  sc 


THE  CARANS. 


361 


large  emerald  was  tlie  chief  ornament  in  the  crown 
of*  their  king,  or  Scyri.  Unacquainted  with  the  Pe- 
ruvian guipus / they  used  to  perpetuate  the  memory  of 
important  events  by  a significant  juxtaposition  of  small 
pieces  of  wood,  clay,  and  stones  of  various  sizes, 
colors,  and  forms.  These  were  kept  in  their  temples, 
palaces,  and  tombs.  How  they  buried  their  dead, 
piling  up  mounds  of  earth  over  their  bodies,  has  al- 
ready been  explained.  Their  religion  consisted  in  a 
worship  of  the  sun  and  the  moon,  and  their  language 
is  said  to  have  been  similar  to  the  Peruvian  Quichua. 
It  is  also  said  that  they  regulated  their  year  by  the  sol- 
stices, and  divided  it  into  twelve  months.2  Their  for- 
tresses were  square  earthworks,  entirely  different  from 
the  pucards  of  the  Incas.  Their  principal  arms  were 
lances  and  clubs.  They  were  very  skillful  in  pottery, 
and  wore  large  earrings  of  bronze.  Some  of  these 
ornaments  I saw  as  they  were  dug  out  of  tolas , or 
graves,  in  the  province  of  Imbabura. 

These  Caras,  or  Carans,  established  the  dynasty  of 
the  Scyris  at  Quito,  and  extended  their  conquests 

called  from  the  ancient  quarries  of  this  stone.  It  is  also  mentioned  that 
the  name  of  Esmeraldas  was  given  to  this  part  of  the  country,  seeing  that 
it  was  so  green  with  vegetation,  by  some  of  the  conquerors  who  had  been 
on  the  desert  coast  of  Peru.  Stephenson  (vol.  ii , p.  406)  says  he  did  not 
visit  the  mines,  owing  to  the  dread  of  the  natives,  who  assured  him  that 
the  place  was  enchanted,  and  guarded  by  a dragon  which  poured  forth 
thunder  and  lightning.  The  locality  of  the  emeralds  may  be  arrived  at  by 
the  river  Bichile,  the  Alcalde  of  which  gave  Stephenson  three  emeralds, 
found  in  the  sands  at  the  mouth  of  that  river.  The  mines  were  worked  by 
the  Jesuits.”  — Bollaert,  Antiquarian , Ethnol. , and  other  Researches.  See, 
also,  Herrera,  dec.  iv.,  lib.  vii.,  cap.  9. 

1 “ The  guippus  was  made  of  threads  of  different  colors,  which  colors,  the 
knots,  and  the  distances  between  the  knots  and  between  the  threads, 
afforded,  first,  a means  of  numeration,  and  afterward  a species  of  hiero- 
glyphic.” — Helps,  Spanish  Conquest  in  America , vol.  iii.,  p.  432  (American 
edition). 

2 Velasco,  Hist.  Antiq .,  b.  i.,  § 2,  p.  6. 


862  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


to  the  north  and  south,  until  checked  by  the  warlike 
nation  of  the  Puruhas,  who  inhabited  the  present  dis- 
trict of  Riobamba.  The  eleventh  Scyri,  who  had  no 
male  issue,  gave  his  daughter  Toa  in  marriage  to  Du 
chicela,  son  of  Condorazo,  the  king  of  Puruha,  with 
whom  he  had  agreed  that  in  case  either  of  the  two 
reigning  fathers-in-law  should  die,  the  young  couple, 
superseding  the  surviving  king,  should  succeed  at  once 
to  the  throne  of  the  two  countries,  which  were  thence- 
forward to  remain  united.  Condorazo,  who,  when  he 
assented  to  this  treaty  had  not  anticipated  the  possi- 
bility of  his  surviving  the  Scyri,  was  so  grieved  by 
having  to  surrender  the  crown  to  his  own  son,  that  he 
retired  into  the  fastnesses  of  a mountain,  and  was 
never  heard  of  again.  That  mountain  has  ever  since 
retained  his  name. 

Duchicela  was  succeeded  by  his  son  Autachi,  and 
the  united'  kingdoms  prospered  and  flourished,  until 
in  the  reign  of  Hualcopo  Duchicela,  the  thirteenth 
Scyri,  the  Peruvian  Incas  commenced  to  extend  their 
conquests  to  the  north.  It  is  not  within  the  scope  of 
this  book  to  review  the  traditions  concerning  the  origin 
and  history  of  the  Incas.  This  has  been  done  in  many 
other  works  to  which  I must  refer  the  reader.1  It  will 
suffice  to  say  that  about  the  middle  of  the  fifteenth 
century  the  Inca  Tupac  Yupanqui,  father  of  Huayna- 
capac,  invaded  the  dominions  of  the  Scyris,  and  after 
many  bloody  battles  and  sieges,  conquered  the  kingdom 
of  Puruha  and  returned  in  triumph  to  Cuzco.  Hual- 

1 Prescott,  History  of  the  Conquest  of  Peru ; Markham,  Cuzco  and 
Lima,  London,  1856;  Helps,  Spanish  Conquest  in  America;  Ulloa,  Voyage 
to  America  (French  and  Spanish  editions;  in  the  English  edition  the  his- 
tory of  the  Incas  has  been  omitted);  M.  C.  Balboa,  History  of  Peru , pub- 
lished in  French  by  Ternaux  Compans;  Garcilazo  de  la  Vega,  Comentarios 
Reales ; Lorente,  Historia  Antigua  del  Peru,  Lima,  1860,  etc.,  etc.,  etc. 


WARS  OF  THE  INCAS  AND  SCYRIS. 


363 


copo  survived  his  loss  but  a few  years.  He  is  said  to 
have  died  of  grief,  and  was  succeeded  by  his  son  Cacha, 
the  fifteenth  and  last  of  the  Scyris. 

Cacha  Duchicela  at  once  set  out  to  recover  his  pa- 
ternal dominions.  Although  of  feeble  health,  he  seems 
to  have  been  a man  of  great  energy  and  intrepidity. 
He  fell  upon  the  garrison  which  the  Inca  had  left  at 
Mocha,  put  it  to  the  sword,  and  reoccupied  the  king- 
dom of  Puruha,  where  he  was  received  with  open 
arms.  He  even  carried  his  banners  further  south, 
until  checked  by  the  Canares,  the  inhabitants  of  what 
is  now  the  district  of  Cuenca,  who  had  voluntarily 
submitted  to  the  Inca,  and  now  detained  the  Scyri 
until  Huaynacapac,  the  greatest  of  the  Inca  dynasty, 
came  to  their  rescue.  The  latter  first  endeavored,  by 
negotiations  and  promises,  to  induce  the  Scyri  peace- 
ably to  yield  to  Peruvian  sway.  His  offers,  however, 
were  indignantly  rejected.  The  Inca  now  avoided  a 
decisive  action  until  he  had  succeeded  in  winning  over 
secretly  several  of  Cacha’s  principal  generals.  In  the 
plain  of  Tiocajas,  celebrated  afterward  for  the  battles 
between  the  Spaniards  under  Benalcazar,  and  the  In- 
dians under  Rumihagui,  the  two  armies  met  at  last. 
The  result  remained  doubtful  for  some  time,  until  the 
treason  of  his  officers  decided  the  day  against  Cacha 
Duchicela.  The  poor  king,  sick  and  grief-worn,  but 
Ins  spirit  unbroken,  was  carried  to  Mocha,  where  he 
announced  his  determination  to  die  in  the  defense  of 
the  place  ; but,  to  his  utter  amazement,  his  generals 
advised  him  to  accept  the  propositions  which  the  Inca 
bad  not  neglected  to  repeat,  and  to  surrender  to  the 
invader,  against  whose  forces,  superior  in  arms,  num- 
bers, and  discipline,  resistance  would  be  useless.  The 
caciques  of  Cayambi,  Otabalo,  and  Caranqui,  alone 


864  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


remained  true,  and  advised  their  master  to  dismiss  his 
lukewarm  servants,  to  evacuate  Mocha,  Llactacunga., 
and  Quito,  and  to  retire  to  the  faithful  north,  where 
he  could  await  the  enemy  in  the  great  fortress  of  Ha- 
tuntaqui.  Cacha  acted  upon  their  advice,  and  closely 
followed  by  the  victor,  withdrew  to  what  is  now  the 
province  of  Imbabura.  In  the- plain  of  Hatuntaqui  he 
made  his  last  stand.  There  the  doom  of  the  Caran 
dynasty  was  sealed.  A terrible  battle  was  fought, 
which  lasted  for  several  days.  Victory  seemed  to  in- 
cline to  the  side  of  the  heroic  Scyri,  when  pierced  by  a 
lance,  he  fell  dead  from  his  litter.  Countless  were  the 
numbers  of  the  slain,  and  to  the  present  day  a great 
many  tolas  commemorate  the  scene  of  the  bloody 
slaughter.1 

On  the  very  field  of  battle'  the  faithful  Caranquis 
proclaimed  Pacha,  the  daughter  of  the  fallen  king,  as 
their  Scyri.  Huaynacapac  now  regulated  his  conduct 
by  policy.  He  ordered  the  dead  king  to  be  buried 
with  all  the  honors  due  to  royalty,  and  made  offers  of 
marriage  to  young  Pacha,  by  whom  he  was  not  refused. 
Whether  under  the  Peruvian  law  he  could  marry  a 
foreign  princess,  who  was  neither  of  the  Inca  family 
nor  a Yirg  in  of  the  Sun  ; or  whether  he,  being  the 
supreme  law-giver,  and  indeed  law  itself,  could  do  as 
he  thought  proper ; or  whether,  as  the  partisans  of  the 
Cuzco  line  assert,  he  merely  took  her  as  a concubine, 
I shall  not  stop  to  examine.  The  issue  of  the  mar- 

1 Of  the  collateral  male  descendants  of  the  Scyri  dynasty,  several  ac- 
quired some  celebrity  afterward.  Cachulima,  a brother  of  the  unfortunate 
Chaleuchima,  who  was  burned  by  Pizarro,  was  one  of  the  first  native 
lords  who  welcomed  the  Spaniards  under  Benalcazffr.  He  Avas  baptized, 
receiving  the  name  of  Don  Marcos  Duchicela,  and  was  allowed  to  retain 
his  lands  and  vassals.  The  last  of  the  race  was  Doha  Maria  Duchicela, 
of  Riobamba,  who  died  at  Quito  in  the  year  1700,  enjoying  the  reputation 
of  great  piety.  See  Velasco,  vol.  ii.,  bk.  1,  § 6. 


THE  GOVERNMENT  OF  THE  INCAS. 


365 


riage  was  Atahuallpa,  the  last  of  the  native  rulers  of 
Peru. 

Huaynacapac  immediately  set  himself  to  introduce 
Peruvian  civilization  in  the  conquered  kingdom.  He 
erected  temples  and  royal  palaces  at  Latacunga, 
Quito,  Cayambi,  and  Caranqui ; he  built  an  admirable 
bridge  ( rumichaca ),  said  to  consist  of  a single  block 
of  stone,  across  the  Angasmayu  ; and  he  constructed 
that  wonderful  road  from  Cuzco  to  the  northern  prov- 
inces of  the  empire,  the  few  remnants  of  which  excited 
the  admiration  of  Humboldt  and  other  travellers. 
Under  him  the  Peruvian  Empire  reached  its  zenith, 
and  its  civilization  that  height  beyond  which  it  could 
hardly  have  passed.  The  form  of  the  Inca  govern- 
ment was  an  over-refined  and  centralized  despotism, 
which  left  nothing  to  individual  energy  or  enterprise. 
Every  thing  was  regulated  by  law.  From  his  birth 
to  his  death  man’s  actions  wTere  circumscribed  by  in- 
flexible rules,  from  which  there  was  no  escape.  The 
subject  had  no  free  will,  not  even  in  the  most  insignifi- 
cant concerns  of  daily  or  private  life.  What  the 
father  was,  the  son  had  to  be.  Every  one  had  to  re- 
main within  his  sphere  .and  caste.  Not  even  indi- 
vidual property  was  known.  Provision  was  made  for 
every  individual,  and  with  that  provision  he  had  to  be 
satisfied.  He  could  not  enlarge  it,  nor  need  he  appre- 
hend its  being  lessened.  The  Inca  was  the  supreme 
ruler  and  the  representative  of  the  deity  on  earth, 
His  commands  were  obeyed  blindly  ; his  will  was  law 
He  was  served  by  an  aristocracy  of  nobles  and  priests 
who  were  maintained  by  the  labor  of  the  common 
people.  He  was  both  the  head  and  the  support  of  the 
complicated  edifice  which,  without  him,  fell  to  pieces 
The  lives,  the  wills,  and  the  energies  of  his  subjects 


366  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


were  in  his  hands,  and  he  disposed  of  them  at  pleas- 
ure. Such  a system  had  no  vitality  or  strength  in 
itself;  it  only  existed  by  the  credulity,  veneration,  and 
servility  of  the  masses.  The  first  vigorous  blow  from 
without,  or  a strong;  combination  of  unfavorable  cir- 
euinstances  from  within,  must  destroy  it.  It  had  to 
fall  from  its  own  weight,  because  it  had  suffocated  in 
the  people  all  those  energies,  capacities,  and  mental 
resources,  which  enable  healthy  nations « to  retrieve 
their  misfortunes. 

The  battle  of  Hatuntaqui  did  not  lead  to  an  imme- 
diate pacification  of  the  kingdom  of  Quito.  The  war- 
like Caranquis  could  not  brook  the  foreign  yoke,  and 
after  contracting  alliances  with  the  barbarous  tribes  of 
Paste,  they  fell  unexpectedly  on  the  Inca’s  body-guard 
of  Orejones , causing  great  slaughter  among  them.  But 
their  punishment  was  terrible.  Huaynacapac  followed 
them  into  their  country,  defeated  them  in  a decisive 
battle  on  the  shores  of  Lake  Yaguarcocha,  and  ordered 
all  the  male  adults  of  the  province  to  be  put  to  the  sword 
without  mercy.  Thousands  of  the  dead  bodies  were 
thrown  into  the  lake,  the  waters  of  which  were  red- 
dened with  the  blood  of  so  man}^  victims.  Hence  its 
name,  u Yaguarcocha,”  which  in  Quichua  means  “ sea 
of  blood. ,r  On  its  western  shore  there  are  still  many 
tolas  (mounds),  which  are  said  to  contain  the  remains 
of  those  who  perished  on  that  fearful  occasion.1 

As  prudent  and  Highly  politic  as  the  conduct  of 
Huaynacapac  is  generally  reputed  to  have  been,  so 

1 Herrera,  dec.  v.,  lib.  3,  cap.  16.  This  author  does  not  mention 
the  Caranquis,  but  says  that  the  war  was  sustained  by  the  Otabalos, 
and  a tribe  which  he  calls  Cuiyapipos;  but  from  the  situation  of  lake  Ya- 
guarcocha, which  is  in  the  ancient  dominions  of  the  Caranquis,  I believe 
with  Balboa  and  Velasco,  that  the  Caranquis  were  the  tribe  that  resisted 
the  progress  of  the  Inca  until  they  were  exterminated. 


HCASCAR  AND  ATAHUALLPA. 


367 


imprudent  and  impolitic  was  the  division  of  the  Em- 
pire which  he  made  on  his  deathbed,  bequeathing  his 
paternal  dominions  to  his  first-born  and  undoubtedly 
legitimate  son,  Huascar,  and  to  Atahuallpa  the  king- 
dom of  Quito.  He  might  have  foreseen  the  evil  con- 
sequences of  such  a partition.1  His  death  took  place 
about  the  year  1525.  For  five  or  seven  years  the 
brothers  lived  in  peace  ; 2 each  in  the  full  enjoyment 
of  his  respective  dominions.  Into  the  probable  causes 
of  their  subsequent  quarrel  it  would  be  useless  to  enter. 
Some  writers  allege  that  it  was  brought  about  by  a 
boundary  question,  involving  the  title  to  the  province 
of  Cafiar.  Atahuallpa’s  subsequent  cruelty  to  the 
Canares,  who  had  sided  with  his  brother,  seems  to  favor 
this  supposition.  In  the  first  battle,  fought  near  the 
bridge  of  Tomebamba,  Atahuallpa  was  signally  defeated 
and  taken  prisoner ; but  in  the  night,  while  his 
brother’s  soldiers  were  reveling  and  rejoicing  over 
their  triumph,  the  captive,  with  an  instrument  of  silver 
which  a woman  had  secretly  contrived  to  give  him, 
opened  a hole  in  the  wall  of  his  prison,  through  which 
he  escaped  and  returned  to  Quito.  There  he  told  his 
people  that  while  in  prison  his  father,  the  Sun,  had 

1 Herrera  does  not  seem  to  believe  in  the  last  will  of  Huaynacapac,  and 
considers  Atahuallpa  a usurper.  But  the  weight  of  authority  is  against 
him.  See  Prescott,  book  iii.,  chap.  2,  and  authorities  there  quoted;  also, 
Gomara,  Hist.  Gen.  And  above  all,  Garcilazo  de  la  Vega,  who,  himself  a 
scion  and  partisan  of  the  Cuzco  line,  would  certainly  have  preferred  the 
charge  of  usurpation  against  Atahuallpa,  had  it  been  warranted  by  the 
facts.  Garcilazo  not  only  adopts  the  story  of  the  division  of  the  Empire, 
but  also  adds  that  Huascar,  who  had  come  to  Quito  at  the  command  of  his 
father,  who  desired  to  see  him  before  his  death,  agreed  to  it,  and  promised 
to  abide  by  it  faithfully.  — Com.  Real,  lib.  ix.,  cap.  12.  If  the  partition  had 
not  been  the  express  will  of  their  father,  the  brothers  Avould  not  have  lived 
in  peace  for  five  or  seven  years  after  the  former’s  death,  but  their  quarrels 
would  have  commenced  immediately. 

2 Prescott  says  five.  According  to  Jerez,  Conq.  del  Peru,  and  Garcilazo, 
it  was  seven. 


368  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


' converted  him  into  a snake  to  enable  him  to  escape, 
promising  him  at  the  same  time  that  lie  would  give 
him  a complete  victory  over  his  brother.1  Pie  soon 
found  himself  at  the  head  of  another  army,  com- 
manded by  his  father’s  experienced  generals,  Chalcu- 
chima,  Quizquiz,  and  RmniPiagui  ; defeated  Huascar’s 
army  at  Ambato,  and  penetrating  into  the  country  of 
the  Canares,  revenged  himself  on  them  in  the  same 
terrible  manner  in  which  his  father,  Huaynacapac,  had 
punished  the  Caranquis.  He  then  descended  to  the 
coast,  but  after  a fruitless  attempt  to  take  the  island 
of  Puna,  on  which  occasion  he  was  wounded,  he  re- 
turned to  the  interior,  and  established  his  head-quar- 
ters at  the  baths  of  Cajamarca,  while  his  generals  after 
the  battle  of  Quipaypan,  in  which  Huascar  was  de- 
feated and  taken  prisoner,2  extended  their  conquests  to 
Cuzco.  Atahuallpa  was  now  master  of  the  whole 
Peruvian  empire,  and  assumed  the  royal  diadem  of  the 
Incas. 

But  his  triumph  was  of  short  duration.  The  Span- 
iards, under  Francisco  Pizarro,  had  landed  on  the 
coast  of  Tumbez.  Their  arduous  march  across  the 
Cordillera;  their  negotiations,  while  on  the  road,  with 
the  unsuspecting  monarch  ; their  arrival  at  Cajamarca  ; 
their  treacherous  invitation  to  Atahuallpa  to  visit  Pi- 
zarro ; their  false  pretenses  of  friendship  and  alliance  ; 
the  unwariness  with  which  the  Inca  fell  into  the  snare ; 
the  unprovoked  slaughter  of  thousands  of  unarmed 
Indians  b}T  the  Spanish  cavalry,  and  the  capture  of  the 

1 Gomara,  cap.  116;  Zarate,  lib.  i.,  cap.  12;  Herrera,  dec.  v.,  lib.  3,  cap. 
17. 

2 According  to  Herrera,  dec.  v.,  lib.  ii.,  cap.  12,  Huascar  was  taken 
after  the  capture  of  Atahuallpa  by  the  Spaniard'.  Gomara  says,  “shortly 
before  or  after.”  But  according  to  Prescott,  book  iii.,  chap.  2,  and  author- 
ities there  quoted,  he  was  taken  prisoner  a few  months  before  the  landing 
of  Pizarro.  . 


TREACHERY  OF  THE  SPANIARDS. 


369 


confiding  king ; the  cupidity  of  the  conquerors,  and 
the  promise  of  Atahuallpa  to  buy  his  freedom  by  filling 
the  room  in  which  he  was  imprisoned,  as  high  as  bis 
extended  arms  could  reach,  with  gold  ; the  expedition 
of  Hernando  Pizarro  to  Pachacamac,  and  the  journey 
of  Francisco’s  messengers  to  Cuzco ; the  immense 
treasures  of  the  Peruvian  empire,  and  the  fulfillment 
of  Atahuallpa’s  promise  ; the  heinous  breach  of  faith 
by  the  Spaniards,  and  the  Inca’s  cruel  execution  ; Pi- 
zarro’s  march  to  Cuzco,  the  burning  of  Chalcuchima, 
and  the  desecration  of  the  tombs  of  the  Incas  : all 
these  thrilling  events  are  graphically  described  by  the 
classic  pen  of  Prescott,  and  it  would  be  presumption 
on  my  part  to  attempt  a repetition. 

There  is  but  one  circumstance  in  the  tragic  fate  of 
Atahuallpa  calculated  to  lessen  our  sympathy  for  the 
victim.  It  is  the  murder  of  his  brother  Huascar. 
Father  Velasco,  who  has  undoubtedly  followed  the 
reasoning  of  Fray  Marcos  de  Niza  and  Collahuaso, 
pretends  that  Huascar  was  put  to  death  by  Chalcu- 
chima, without  express  orders  from  the  Inca  ; that  the 
general’s  instructions  were  to  kill  his  prisoner  in  case 
an  attempt  should  be  made  to  liberate  him ; and 
fearing  lest  the  Spaniards  who  kept  Atahuallpa  in 
prison  might  be  induced  to  put  Huascar  on  the  throne, 
Chalcuchima  committed  the  deed  on  his  own  responsi- 
bility. There  is  some  probability  in  this  plea,  especially 
when  we  consider  that  Huascar,  while  being  trans- 
ported to  a safer  prison,  was  met  by  the  Spaniards, 
Fernando  de  Soto  and  Pedro  del  Vasco,  while  on  their 
way  to  Cuzco,  and  implored  them  to  save  him,  promis- 
ing them  twice  as  much  gold  as  Atahuallpa  had  under- 
taken to  give.  The  two  Spaniards,  however,  excused 
themselves  with  having  no  instructions  to  take  charge 
24 


870  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


of  him,  and  passed  on  to  Cuzco.  It  is  very  probable, 
therefore,  that  Chalcuchima  apprehended  danger  to  his 
master  from  such  a promise,  and  considered  it  his  duty 
to  prevent,  once  and  forever,  an  understanding  be- 
tween Huascar  and  Pizarro.  On  the  other  hand,  when 
we  consider  the  blind  obedience  of  the  most  powerful 
nobles  to  the  Inca,  and  the  slavish  awe  in  which  they 
held  him,  it  is  difficult  to  believe  that  Chalcuchima 
should  have  ventured,  without  express  orders  from  his 
sovereign,  to  kill  the  king’s  brother,  whom  he  had  been 
commanded  to  treat  well. 

The  Peruvian  Empire,  shaken  in  its  very  founda- 
tions by  the  wars  of  Huascar  and  Atahuallpa,  and 
without  a people  whose  spirit  and  energy  might  have 
been  roused  by  the  emergency,  fell  to  pieces  after  the 
death  of  its  last  ruler.  The  Yanaconas,  a race  of 
slaves  who  had  occupied  the  lowest  social  position 
under  the  old  system,1  sided  with  the  Spaniards,  from 
whom  they  expected  a favorable  change  of  their  situ- 
ation. The  Indian  nobles,  a herd  without  a shepherd, 
and  divided  by  civil  dissensions,  did  not  know  what  to 
do,  while  those  who  resolved  to  resist  the  invaders 
could  not  forget  the  jealousies  of  the  Quito  and  Cuzco 
lines,  and  other  provincial . considerations,  which  pre- 
vented them  from  making  a united  effort  for  the  main- 
tenance  of  their  independence.  The  Curacas  or  ca- 
ciques of  the  distant  provinces  who,  upon  seeing  a 
handful  of  foreigners  annihilate  the  dreaded  repre- 
sentative of  the  Sun,  had  lost  their  veneration  and 
awe  for  the  Inca  dynasty,  returned  to  their  original 
independence,  endeavoring  to  set  up  governments  for 
themselves  in  the  districts  over  which  they  ruled.  Of 
these  chiefs,  Rumihagui,  whose  name  I have  already 
1 Herrera,  dec.  v.,  lib.  3,  cap.  4. 


USURPATION  OF  RUMINAGUI. 


371 


mentioned,  was  the  most  talented,  the  most  unscrupu- 
lous, and  perhaps  the  most  cruel.  When  Atahuallpa 
prepared  himself  to  make  that  fatal  visit  to  Pizarro,  from 
which  he  never  returned,  he  is  said  to  have  put  Ru- 
minagui  on  the  guard  before  the  city,  to  assist  his  mas- 
ter in  case  some  unforeseen  event  should  make  it 
necessary.1  Hearing  the  thunders  of  musketry,  and 
learning  the  great  slaughter  of  his  countrymen,  it  was 
quite  natural  for  the  Indian  chief,  and  the  5,000  men 
lie  commanded,  to  be  seized  by  the  general  panic  and 
seek  safety  in  flight.  At  some  distance  from  Caja- 
marca,  he  rallied  his  scattered  forces,  and  'without 
making  an  effort  to  save  his  lord,  returned  to  Quito. 

On  learning  of  the  death  of  the  Inca,  he  conceived 
the  plan  of  putting  himself  at  the  head  of  the  ancient 
empire  of  the  Scyris,  which  he  thought  himself  able  to 
defend  against  the  insignificant  number  of  the  Euro- 
pean  invaders.  To  secure  himself  on  the  throne,  he 
seems  to  have  cultivated  popularity  with  the  army, 
and  to  have  won  over  to  his  interests  several  influen- 
tial members  of  the  nobility.  He  also  resolved  to  rid 
himself  of  all  possible  legitimate  competitors.  Availing 
himself  of  the  opportunity  which  the  funeral  ceremonies 
in  honor  of  the  murdered  Atahuallpa  presented,  he 
invited  all  the  near  and  distant  relatives  of  the  latter 
to  a great  banquet,  intoxicated  them  on  their  national 
beverage,2  and  pretending  that  by  their  cowardice  and 
lukewarmness  they  had  sacrificed  his  beloved  king, 
put  them  to  the  sword  without  mercy.  The  principal 
victim  was  Atahuallpa’s  brother  Illescas,  of  whose  skin 
the  usurper  is  said  to  have  made  a drum.  He  is  also 

1 Wytfliet,  Dtscript'uyis  Ptuloviaicce  Augmentuni , Duaci,  1607,  page  81; 
Zarate,  lib.  ii.,  cap.  5. 

2 Gomara,  cap.  125:  Zarate,  lib.  ii.,  cap.  8;  Garcilazo  de  la  Vega,  Hist 
Gen.,  lib.  ii.,  cap.  3. 


372  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


said  to  have  killed  several  of  the  wives  and  concubines 
of  Atahuallpa,  who  were  supposed  to  be  with  child  ; 
and  to  have  appropriated  to  himself  the  Virgins  of  the 
Sun  in  the  Quito  convent,  from  whom  none  but  the 
Inca  would  have  been  allowed  to  select  a consort.1 
These  and  other  unnecessary  and  revolting  outrages 
would  almost  seem  incredible  ; but  why  should  we  be- 
lieve barbarous  savages  to  be  incapable  of  that  spirit  of 
fiendish  cruelty  which  the  Spaniards,  who  boasted  of 
Christianity  and  civilization,  were  continually  display- 
ing? If  Ruminagui  was  a monster  and  a tyrant,  he 
was  fully  equaled,  if  not  surpassed,  by  the  conquerors 
of  Quito,  to  whom  I must  now  introduce  my  readers. 

Sebastian  de  Benalcazar  2 was  a Spanish  nobleman, 
who  had  come  from  Nicaragua,  attracted  by  the  fame 
of  the  riches  of  Peru.  He  seems  to  have  been  a man 
of  some  education,  at  least  he  knew  how  to  read  and 
to  write,  arts  which  were  unknown  to  the  famous  Piz- 
arro  and  Almagro.  After  rendering  valuable  services 
to  Pizarro,  the  latter  sent  him  to  take  charge  of  San 
Miguel,  which  was  then  the  only  port  of  entry  in 
Peru,  and  consequently  of  the  greatest  importance. 
But  Benalcazar’s  spirit  would  not  brook  mere  garrison 
duty.  His  cupidity  was  excited  by  reports  of  the 
great  riches  of  Quito.  That  place  had  not  yet  been 
occupied  by  the  Spaniards.  Huaynacapac  had  resided 
there  for  more  than  thirty  years,  and  built  stately 
palaces  and  temples,  the  treasures  of  which  were  sup- 
posed to  equal  those  that  had  been  found  in  the  great 
city  of  Cuzco.  The  most  alluring  rumors  were  afloat. 
An  immense  quantitv  of  gold  was  said  to  have  been  on 

1 Velasco,  vol.  ii.,  lib.  4,  § 1,  sec.  8.  » 

2 Herrera  and  Velasco  spell  his  name  Be/alcazar,  which  is  wrong.  I 
have  seen  his  signature  in  one  of  the  record  books  of  the  municipality  of 
Quito.  It  shows  a firm  and  somewhat  practiced  hand,  and  is  very  legible. 


BEN  ALCAZAR  GOES  TO  QUITO. 


378 


the  way  to  Cajamarca,  to  be  added  to  the  ransom  of 
Atalmallpa,  when  the  news  of  his  death  reached  the 
carriers,  and  induced  them  to  take  it  back  to  Quito. 
That  gold  must  still  he  intact.  A splendid  opportunity 
here  offered  to  an  enterprising  and  dashing  captain 
like  Benaleazar.  At  the  same  time,  embassadors  from 
the  Canares,  the  old  enemies  of  the  Quito  tribes, 
arrived  at  his  camp  imploring  his  assistance  against 
Ruminagui,  who  was  about  to  ipvade  their  province.1 
The  temptation  was  too  strong  for  Benaleazar  ; and 
without  orders  or  permission  from  Pizarro,  he  left  San 
Miguel  at  the  head  of  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  men, 
for  Quito.  His  second  in  command  was  the  monster 
Juan  de  Ampudia,  whose  memory  deserves  to  he  held 
up  to  eternal  execration.  His  chaplain  was  the  good 
Father  Marcos  de  Niza,  whom  I have  already  men- 
tioned. 

If  it  had  not  been  for  his  Indian  allies,  Benaleazar 
would  perhaps  never  have  returned  from  this  expedi- 
tion. He  had  to  encounter  the  genius  of  a chief  who 
was  bv  nature  a general.  Ruminagui  was  well  aware 
that  he  fought  not  only  for  his  race,  but  for  his  own 
life  and  ill-gotten  possessions.  He  knew  that  the 
promises  and  assurances  of  the  Spaniards  could  not  be 
relied  on,  and  consequently  rejected  the  overtures  of 
Benaleazar.  His  influence  over  his  men,  to  judge 
from  the  statements  of  those  writers  who  have  given  us 
detailed  accounts  of  this  expedition,  must  have  been 
very  grea*t.  They  had  supported  his  usurpation,  and 
confided  blindly  in  his  leadership.  He  had  skillfully 
overcome  their  dread  of  the  Spanish  fire-arms,  and 
knowing  the  terrible  advantage  which  the  invaders  de- 
rived from  their  horses,  he  provided  against  it.  On  all 
the  roads  and  approaches  by  which  the  Spaniards  could 
1 Zarate,  lib.  ii.,  cap  9. 


374  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


advance,  he  prepared  snares  and  traps  to  entangle  and 
destroy  the  horses.  He  dug  deep  holes  and  covered 
them  with  reeds  and  sand,  which  would  break  in  under 
the  weight  of  mounted  men.  He  rammed  sharp  and 
pointed  sticks  into  the  sand  of  the  plains,  so  as  to  line 
with  them  ditches  skillfully  hidden  from  the  enemy’s 
view,  and  when  the  Spaniards  approached  he  placed 
his  men  behind  those  ditches,  in  order  to  allure  the 
cavalry  to  certain  destruction.1  But,  unfortunately, 
what  the  Spaniards  would  not  have  seen,  their  native 
allies  discovered.  The  Canares,  who  were  always  in 
the  advance,  preparing  the  way  for  the  horses,  enabled 
Benaleazar  to  avoid  the  most  dangerous  places.  Her- 
rera, who  admits  that  the  situation  of  the  Spaniards 
was  not  only  most  critical,  but  even  desperate,  recog- 
nizes a miracle  in  the  escape  of  the  cavalry,  which  he 
ascribes  to  the  direct  interference  of  the  Virgin  Mary, 
who  “ on  such  occasions  often  appeared  to  the  defend- 
ers of  the  true  faith,  conferring  innumerable  benefits 
on  them,  although  by  their  deeds  they  might  not  have 
deserved  such  heavenly  favors.”  2 

Toward  the  latter  part  of  the  year  1533,  Benal- 
eazar descended  into  the  plain  of  Tiocajas,  .where  the 
Indians  made  a desperate  resistance.  For  the  first 
time  since  the  arrival  of  Pizarro  in  Peru,  a battle  was 
fought  which  remained  undecided.  The  Indians  suc- 
ceeded in  killing  and  wounding  several  Spaniards,  and 
in  killing  four  horses,  the  heads  of  which  were  carried 
about  in  triumph,  to  show  to  the  natives  fhat  those 
dreaded  monsters  were  mortal  like  other  creatures.3 

1 Zarate,  ui  supra.  Herrera,  dec.  v.,  lib.  iv.,cap.  12. 

2 Dec.  v.,  lib  iv.,  cap.  12. 

3 The  death  of  a horse  was  an  immense  loss  to  the  Spaniards,  consider- 
ing the  distance  from  which  horses  had  to  be  brought,  the  cost  of  trans- 
portation, and  the  incalculable  superiority  which  they  gave  the  conquerors 
over  the  natives. 


COTOPAXI  FRIGHTENS  THE  INDIANS. 


375 


Ruminagui  and  his  faithful  partisan  Zopozopangui,  dis- 
played the  greatest  valor,  exposing  themselves  contin- 
ually in  the  thickest  of  the  tight,  giving  orders,  and 
encouraging  the  wavering. 

The  accounts  which  contemporary  writers  have 
given  of  this  campaign,  are  confused  and  contradictory. 
It  seems,  however,  that  several  battles  were  fought  ; 
and  that  the  Spaniards,  although  continually  victorious, 
were  reduced  to  a most  deplorable  condition.  Several 
of  them  were  killed,  and  a great* many  wounded  ; and 
the  loss  of  horses  weighed  heavily  upon  them,  as  one 
mounted  man  was  considered  equal  to  a thousand  In- 
dians. Had  it  not  been  for  an  unforeseen  event  — a 
dreadful  night- eruption  of  Cotopaxi,  accompanied  by 
an  earthquake  and  a formidable  rain  of  ashes  — Benal- 
cazar  would  have  been  compelled  to  fall  back  for  pro- 
visions and  reinforcements.  But  it  wras  natural  that 
such  a phenomenon,  which  at  such  a juncture  would 
have  disheartened  the  ignorant  and  superstitious  of 
many  a civilized  nation,  should  produce  a fatal  effect 
on  the  spirit  and  perseverance  of  the  Indians.  The 
invisible  powers  seemed  to  have  declared  against  them. 
The  elements  w'ere  with  those  foreigners,  who  com- 
manded  the  thunder  and  lightning,  and  rode  on  moil- 
sters  which  had  never  before  been  seen.  In  vain  did 
the  usurper  endeavor  to  rally*  his  men.  The  bands  of 
discipline  were  severed ; and  with  the  disordered  rem- 
nants of  his  army  he  fled  to  Quito.  When  Benaleazar 
looked  over  the  battle-field  on  the  following  morn  in  or, 
the  Indian  army  was  gone. 

The  pious  Herrera  tells  us,  in  this  connection,  of  an 
oracle  wdiich  had  long  before  warned  the  Indians  that 
if  a certain  volcano  at  Latacunga  should  once  explode, 
foreigners  from  a distant  land  w?ould  invade  and  con- 


476 


FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


quer  the  country.  This  oracle,  he  explains,  was  a pre- 
diction of  Satan,  u who  although  not  omniscient  like 

© 

God,  is  well  able  to  foresee  the  effects  of  certain  causes 
which  are  known  to  him ; and  as  he  knew  that  the 
volcano  would  have  to  explode,  and  that  the  Spaniards 
would  also  find  their  way  to  Peru,  it  was  easy  for  him 
to  pass  his  calculation  for  a prophecy.”  1 

On  his  arrival  at  Quito,  Rumihagui  at  once  took  the 
necessary  measures  to  deprive  the  Spaniards  of  the 
great  object  of  all  there  toils  and  hardships.  Whatever 
treasures  there  were  left,  he  sent  out  of  the  city  ; but 
where  he  hid  them  is  a secret  to  the  present  day.  It 
is  possible  that  the  treasures  of  Quito  had  already 
gone  to  swell  the  ransom  of  Atahuallpa  ; it  is  possible 
that  the  rumors  of  their  immensity  were  fabrications 
or  exaggerations ; but  it  is  also  possible,  and  even 
highly  probable,  that  the  Indians  sought  to  snatch  from 
the  greedy  grasp  of  the  Spaniards  the  idol,  for  the  pos- 
session of  which  so  many  innocent  lives  had  been  sac- 
rificed. It  was  the  last  but  most  telling  revenge  of 
the  conquered.  Until  the  present  day,  traditions  of 
the  great  treasures  hidden  in  the  mountains  by  Rumi- 
ilagui,  are  eagerly  repeated  and  believed  at  Quito, 
giving  probability  to  the  story  of  Val  verde,  to  which  I 
have  referred  in  another  chapter. 

Another  act  of  cruelty  committed  by  Ruminagui, 
whose  valiant  resistance  seems  to  have  inflamed  the 
ancient  writers  against  him,  ought  now  to  be  recorded, 
although  not  strictly  connected  with  the  object  of  this 
narrative.  He  is  said  to  have  entered  the  convent  of  the 
Virgins  of  the  Sun,  and  told  them  to  be  joyful  as  they 
would  soon  become  acquainted  with  men  with  long 
beards,  whom  they  might  welcome  as  lovers.  The  poor, 

1 Dec.  v.,  lib.  v.,  cap.  1. 


MASSACRE  OF  THE  VIRGINS  OF  THE  SUN.  377 


silly  girls,  not  knowing  what  to  answer,  laughed,  which 
so  enraged  their  lord  that  he  put  them  all  to  the' sword.1 
Garcilazo  de  la  Vega  says  that  he  ordered  them  to  be 
buried  alive.2  Herrera,  however,  tells  the  story  in 
a different  manner.3  According  to  him,  Rumiiiagui 
commanded  them  to  leave  Quito,  where  nothing  but 
dishonor  awaited  them,  and  upon  their  refusing  to 
obey,  ordered  their  massacre.  To  me  all  these  state- 
ments appear  improbable  ; and  T am  inclined  to  believe 
that,  conscious  of  the  impossibility  of  taking  them  along 
and  maintaining  them  on  his  rapid  and  difficult  marches 
over  inhospitable  mountains,  he  decreed  their  death  to 
prevent  them  from  falling  into  the  hands  of  the  licen- 
tious Spaniards. 

Having  removed  the  gold  and  killed  the  Virgins  of 
the  Sun,  and  thus  placed  two  objects  so  eagerly  coveted 
by  the  invaders  beyond  their  reach,  Rumihagui  set 
fire  to  the  town,  and  evacuated  it  with  all  his  troops 
and  followers.  It  would  be  difficult  to  describe  the 
rage,  mortification,  and  despair  of  the  Spaniards,  on 
finding  smoking  ruins  instead  of  the  treasures  which 
they  had  expected.  The  precious  prize  had  slipped 
away  from  under  their  grasp,  and  thousands  of  innocent 
Indians  were  sacrificed  to  their  disappointed  cupidity. 
But  of  this  hereafter. 

It  is  an  unmistakable  proof  of  the  genius  of  Rumi- 
llagui,  that  notwithstanding;  the  losses  lie  had  sustained, 
and  the  utter  discouragement  of  his  men  after,  as  it 
were,  the  invisible  powers  had  declared  against  them, 
he  was  again  able  to  collect  an  army  willing  to  be  led 
by  him  to  another  desperate  effort.  Knowing  that 
Benalcazar  had  sent  out  several  detachments  in  differ* 


1 Velasco. 

3 Dec.  v.,  lib.  vi.,  cap.  5. 


2 Hist,  del  Peru , lib.  ii.,  cap.  4. 


378  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH— AMERICANS. 


ent  directions  to  capture  him,  and  that  Quito  was  left 
almost  without  cavalry,  and  with  very  little  infantry, 
he  resolved  on  a night  attack,  in  order  to  surprise  and 
crush  the  little  garrison.  Reinforced  by  the  tribes  of 
Chillo  (a  beautiful  valley  to  the  east  of  Quito,  from 
which  it  is  separated  by  a low  mountain  range),  and 
at  the  head  of  about  fifteen  thousand  men,  he  attacked 
the  fortifications  which  the  Spaniards  had  hastily 
thrown  up.  But  the*,  old  enemies  of  Quito,  the  Ca- 
fiares,  had  again  frustrated  his  plan  by  giving  timely 
warning  to  the  Spaniards,  and  Ruminagui  was  repulsed 
with  great  slaughter.1  His  army  was  pursued  and  dis- 
persed, and  thus  ended^the  last  great  effort  to  save  the 
independence  of  the  ancient  kingdom  of  Quito. 

It  was  followed  by  a series  of  barbarities  so  mon- 
strous and  shocking,  as  to  eclipse  even  the  bloody  deeds 
of  the  Pizarros  and  Ahnagros.  Learning  from  several 
of  the  Indians  who  were  put  to  the  rack,  that  the  treas- 
ures had  been  taken  to  Cayambi,  Benalcazar  imme- 
diately proceeded  to  the  north,  with  a division  of  his 
troops,  but  found  only  women  and  children,  as  the  men 
had  either  fled,  or  were  in  the  army  under  Ruminagui. 
To  set  an  example  by  which  he  hoped  to  compel  the 
male  inhabitants  of  other  villages  to  return  to  their 
homes,  he  put  these  poor  women  and  children  to  the 
sword.2 

Only  a few  gold  and  silver  vessels  were  found,  just 
enough  to  gall  and  heighten  the  new  disappointment 
of  the  Spaniards. 

In  the  mean  time  Juan  de  Ampudia  had  succeeded 
in  capturing  Zopozopangui,  the  valiant  aid  of  Rumi- 
fiagui.  He  was  put  to  the  rack,  but  revealing  nothing 
concerning;  the  treasures,  he  was  executed.3  Rumi- 

1 Zarate;  Gomara.  2 Herrera. 

3 Herrera,  dec.  v.,  lib.  vii.,  cap.  14. 


SPANISH  BARBARIANS. 


379 


fiagui,  after  a protracted  defense  in  the  mountains, 
was  abandoned  by  Ids  followers,  who  had  become  tired 
of  the  war,  and  betrayed  by  his  own  servants,  he  was 
taken  by  Benalcazar.  His  end  was  that  of  a hero. 
He  showed  no  sign  of  weakness.  No  confession  could 
be  extorted  froijri  his  silent  lips;  and  after  torturing 
him  in  vain,  Benalcazar  ordered  him  to  be  executed.1 

Cliambo,  another  Indian  chief,  was  tortured  and 
burned  alive  without  divulging  any  thing.2  Cozopan- 
gua,  governor  of  Quito,  Quiinbalumba,  governor  of 
Chillo,  Razorazo,  Rima,  and  other  nobles,  shared  the 
same  fate.3  Albis,  another  cacique,  was  tortured  by 
having  his  feet  burned  at  a slow  fire,  but  revealed  noth- 
ing.4 Others,  to  obtain  momentary  relief,  referred  to 

1 Garcilazo  de  la  Vega  asserts,  without  any  foundation,  that  Ruminagui, 
after  evacuating  Quito,  retired  into  the  impenetrable  fastnesses  of  the  east- 
ern Cordillera,  ana  was  never  heard  of  again.  Father  Velasco,  and  other 
writers,  repeat  this  statement.  But  Herrera,  the  royal  historian  who  had 
free  access  to  official  documents  and  reports,  gives  the  details  of  .Rumi- 
hagui’s  capture  and  execution.  1 1 is  statement  is  corroborated  by  the  rec- 
ords of  the  Quito  Municipality,  which  I examined  with  great  care.  I 
found  an  entry,  dated  June  25th,  1535,  which  recites  that  “the  men  under 
Pedro  de  Puelles  had  captured  the  principal  nobles  of  these  provinces,  be- 
cause it  was  supposed  and  believed  that  they  would  know  of  the  gold  and 
silver;  these  nobles  were  Ovuminabi , Cozopangua,  Quimbalumba,  Razo- 
razo, Rima,  and  others,  their  allies  and  friends;  with  whom  every  possible 
experiment  was  made  and  great  trouble  had  in  watching  them  and  going 
with  them  to  many  places  where  the  gold  was  supposed  to  be;  but  neithei 
they  nor  any  of  them  would  tell;  wherefore,  and  far  the  crimes  which  they 
had  committed ',  they  were  executed,  so  that  now  there  are  none  left."  It  will 
be  seen  that,  in  this  document,  tlie  name  Oruminabi  is  given.  Herrera 
spells  it  Yruminabi.  But  evidently  the  same  individual  is  meant,  and  the 
discrepancy  will  be  explained  by  the  fact  that,  in  the  beginning,  as  long 
as  the  conquerors  were  unacquainted  with  the  Quichua  language,  all  the 
Indian  names  were  misspelled.  Atahuallpa  was  frequently  spelled  Ata- 
baliba,  and  Huaynacapac  had  been  corrupted  into  Guayanacaba. 

2 From  a relation  of  Fray  Marcos  de  Ni/a,  published  by  Las  Casas  in 
his  Historia  de  las  Crueldades  de  los  Espaholes  Conquistador es  de  Ame- 
rica, o Brevisima  Relation  de  la  Destruccion  de  las  Indias  Oc.cidenUd.es. 
Works  of  Las  Casas,  published  in  Spanish  by  Dr.  Juan  Antonio  IJorente, 
Paris,  1822,  two  volumes. 

3 Quito  Municipality  Records.  4 Las  Casas,  v,t  supra,  vol.  i.,  183. 


380  FOUR  YEARS  XMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


certain  localities  ; but  when  the  Spaniards  went  there 
they  found  nothing,  and  the  torturing  of  their  victims 
was  resumed.  Every  nook  and  corner  of  the  province 
was  searched,  but  only  in  the  sepulchres 1 some  little 
gold  was  found,  which  could  not  compensate  the  con- 
querors for  the  hardships  they  had  undergone,  and  the 
perils  they  had  braved.  The  common  soldiers  now 
vented  their  rage  on  the  Indians  they  met  on  their 
fruitless  expeditions.  Hands,  ears,  and  noses  were  cut 
off,  without  any  provocation  on  the  part  of  those  poor 
creatures.  Babes  were  snatched  from  the  arms  of  their 
mothers  and  flung  into  the  air.  In  the  valley  of  Ma- 
chachi,  which  was  studded  with  Indian  villages,  a num- 
ber of  natives  were  driven  into  three  houses,  and  the 
buildings  set  on  fire.  A little,  boy  whom  a priest, 
Ocaiia,  had  rescued  from  the  flames,  was  snatched 
from  his  hands  by  a soldier,  and  flung  back  into  the 
fire.  Countless  houses  and  villages  were  burned  by 
the  enraged  adventurers.2  If,  on  the  approach  of  the 
marauding  Spaniards,  the  Indians  remained  at  their 
homes,  they  were  tortured  to  make  them  disclose  de- 
posits of  gold,  of  which  they  knew  nothing.  If  they 
fled,  they  were  chased  with  bloodhounds.3  These  hor- 
rible animals,  according  to  Palomino,  were  fed  on  the 
corpses  of  the  victims.  No  faith  was  kept  with  the 
Indians.  The  caciques  were  invited  to  come  to  Quito 
by  promises  of  safety  and  friendship  ; but  when  they 

made  their  appearance,  and  could  not,  or  would  not, 

r 

1 Velasco,  vol.  ii.,  lib.  iv.,  § G.  Gomara,  cap.  125.  The  latter  author 
says,  that  they  found  enough  gold  in  the  tombs  to  defray  the  expenses  of 
the  expedition ; a poor  consolation  for  the  greedy  adventurers. 

2 “ Asimjsmo  vo  vi  quemar  tantas  casas  d pueblos  que  no  sabria  decir 
el  numero  seguro;  eran  inuchos.”  — Fray  Nizn. 

3 From  a relation  of  Alonzo  de  Palomino,  an  eye-witness,  quoted  by 
Velasco,  ut  supra. 


IMPROVIDENCE  OF  THE-  SPANIARDS. 


381 


disclose  the  secret  of  the  treasures,  they  were  burned.1 
Burning  seems  to  have  been  the  favorite  mode  of  put- 
ting Indians  to  death.2 

During  Benalcazar’s  absence  at  Riobamba,  whither 
he  had  been  compelled  to  go  shortly  after  his  entry  into 
Quito,  by  the  news  of  the  arrival  of  a rival  adventurer 
and  interloper  (Don  Pedro  de  Alvarado,  who  was  after- 
wards bought  off  by  Pizarro  and  Almagro),  the  prin- 
cipal instigators  of  those  cruelties  were  Juan  de  Am- 
pudia,  Benalcazar’s  lieutenant,  and  Alonzo  Sanchez, 
his  second  in  command.  While  they  were  ravaging 
the  country,  they  made  no  provision  for  sowing  and 
planting,  but  plundered  the  public  granaries  established 
by  the  Inca  government.3  The  consequence  of  this 
improvidence  was  a great  famine,  from  which  the  In- 
dians suffered  fearfully  the  year  afterward.4  It  was 
only  relieved  by  another  cruelty,  — the  carrying  away 
of  thousands  of  Indians  to  accompany,  as  beasts  of 
burden,  the  Spaniards  on  their  discovering  expedi- 
tions north  and  south.  One  of  these  expeditions, 
headed  by  Benalcazar  in  person,  proceeded  to  Guay- 
aquil, and  of  the  four  thousand  Indians  he  took  along, 
but  a few  returned  to  their  homes.5  Juan  de  Am- 
pudia  went  north,  also  taking  a great  number  of 
Indians  with  him.  Many  of  them  were  carried  along 
in  chains.6  He  was  followed  by  Benalcazar  when  he 

1 “ Yten  vi  que  llainaban  a los  caciques  e principales  Indiosque  viniesen 
de  paz  seguramente  e prometiendoles  seguro;  y en  llegando,  lucgo  les  que 
maban.”  — Las  Casas,  vol.  i.,  p.  185. 

2 Helps'  Spanish  Conquest  in  America.  This  author  supposes  that  the 
Spaniards,  following  the  example  of  the  Inquisition,  selected  this  mode  of 
putting  Indians  to  death  because  they  were  pagans. 

3 Las  Casas,  vol.  i..  p.  202. 

4 Quito  Municipality  Records,  July  26,  1535. 

6 See  chapter  ii.,  page  32  of  this  work. 

• Las  Casas,  appendix  to  the  work  above  mentioned. 


882  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH— AMERICANS. 


undertook  the  conquest  of  Popayan.  On  this  occasion 
he  took  about  four  thousand  Indians  with  him,  of  whom 
but  twenty  returned  to  Quito.1  Of  those  who  re- 
mained, ten  thousand  were  employed  to  rebuild  the 
town.2  It  may  be  inferred  from  the  preceding 
how  they  were  treated.  Some  preferred  suicide  to 
the  terrible  tasks  which  they  were  compelled  to  per- 
form. 

Of  the  ancient  buildings  of  Quito,  no  stone  was  left 
upon  the  other,  and  deep  excavations  were  made  under 
them  to  search  for  hidden  treasures.  Hence  there  is 
no  vestige  left  at  Quito  of  its  former  civilization  ; not 
a ruin,  not  a wall,  not  a stone  to  which  the  traditions 
of  the  past  might  cling.  Where  the  palace  of  the 
Inca  stood  is  now  the  Convent  de  la  Merced,3  and  a 
potato-field  occupies  the  place  of  the  ancient  Temple 
of  the  Sun.4  Such,  then,  was  the  conduct  of  the  de- 
fenders of  the  “ true  faith,”  and  the  special  favorites 
of  St.  James  and  the  Virgin  Mary.  I have  abstained 
from  making  a single  statement  which  1 could  not  sup- 
port by  reliable  authority. 

On  the  28th  of  August,  1534,  the  Spanish  village  of 
Quito  was  founded.  The  title  of  city,  it  received  after- 
ward. While  in  North  America  population  always 
precedes  the  organization  of  municipalities,  while  with 
us  there  must  be  houses  and  settlers  before  officers  are 
elected  and  ordinances  enacted,  in  Spanish-America 
municipal  organization  always  preceded  population. 
When  a site  was  deemed  convenient  for  a settlement, 
a deed  of  foundation  was  executed,  and  a cabildo 

1 From  the  relation  of  an  eye-witness  who  accompanied  Benalcazar  on 
this  expedition.  Las  Casas,  vol.  i.,  p.  204. 

2 Velasco. 

3 This  fact  appears  from  the  Municipality  Records . 

4 On  Mount  Panecill  ~ 


FORMATION  OF  MUNICIPALITIES. 


,588 


(municipality)  instituted  before  buildings  were  elected. 
Whether  the  new  settlement  was  to  be  a city  or  a 
village  was  not  left  to  its  future  development,  but 
prescribed  by  the  military  chieftain  who  ordered  the 
settlement  to  be  made.  San  Francisco  de  Quito  was 
first  intended  for  a village,  while  Santiago  de  Quito 
(Riobamba)  was  made  a town.  Yet,  soon  afterward, 
San  Francisco  had  to  be  made  a city,  while  Santiago 
was  abandoned.  Quito  was  named  San  Francisco  in 
honor  of  the  Marquis  Francisco  de  Pizarro.  Its  an- 
cient Indian  name  was  Quitu.1  The  deed  establishing 
the  settlement  is  like  all  those  documents,  drawn  up 
and  acknowledged  by  a notary.  It  is  executed  by  the 
“ magnificent  Sehor  Don  Diego  de  Almagro,  Marshal 
of  His  Majesty  in  the  Kingdoms  of  New  Castile,  Lieu- 
tenant-Governor, and  Lieutenant-Captain-General,” 
etc.,  etc.,  in  the  name  of  the  “ most  magnificent  Sehor 
Don  Francisco  de  Picarro,  Governor  Adelantado  and 
Captain-General,”  etc.,  whose  superior  authority  is 
most  emphatically  recognized.  Among  other  things,  it 
says  “ that  the  province  of  Quito,  having  been  con- 
quered and  pacified  by  him  (Almagro),  in  the  name 
of  His  Majesty,  and  of  the  said  Sehor  Gobernador, 
and  it  having  pleased  the  Lord  that  most  of  the  chiefs 
and  Indians  are  now  peaceful,  and  under  the  yoke  and 
obedience  of  His  Majesty ; and  in  order  to  make  them 
come  truly  to  peace,  and  to  convert  them  to  our  Holv 
Catholic  Faith,  by  the  good  example  and  teachings  of 
the  Spanish  vassals  of  His  Majesty , who  are  to  live  in 
these  parts,  he  founded  in  the  name  of  His  Majesty, 
the  town  of  Quito,”  etc.,  etc.  The  document  winds 
up  with  the  characteristic  declaration,  that  because  the 
“ magnificent  Lord  Almagro  ” said  he  did  not  know 

o e> 

1 There  are  no  “ o’s  ” or  “ e’s  ” in  the  Quichua  language. 


384  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH— AMERICANS. 


how  to  write,  Bias  de  Atiencia  signed  for  him,  and  at 
his  request.1 

On  the  6th  of  December,  Sebastian  Benalcazar, 
Lieutenant-Governor  and  Captain-General,  ordered  a 
list  to  be  taken  of  those  who  wished  to  be  considered 
permanent  residents  ( vecinos ) of  Quito.  This  list  con- 
tains but  two  hundred  and  five  names,  with  Juan  de 
Ampudia  and  Diego  de  Tapia  as  Alcaldes.  The  next 
and  most  important  business  of  the  conquerors,  was  to 
proceed  to  a division  of  the  spoils,  consisting  of  lands 
and  Indians.  These  proceedings  occupy  a great  deal 
of  space  in  the  old  municipality  records,  as  complaints 
were  frequent,  and  petitions  for  increase  or  equalization 
of  the  repartimientos  came  in  continually. 

From  the  materials  I have  been  able  to  collect,  I 
conclude  that  the  Indians  at  Quito  were  classified  as 
follows  by  the  conquerors:  (1.)  Indians  de  paz  (of 

peace)  ; (2.)  Indians  of  war  ( de  guerra)  ; (3.)  Ycina- 
conas ; and  (4.)  Nicaragua  Indians.  The  latter  had 
been  brought  to  Quito  by  those  adventurers  who,  like 
Benalcazar,  had  come  from  Nicaragua,  attracted  by 
the  fame  of  the  riches  of  Peru.  The  Yanaconas  I 
have  already  mentioned.  They  had  been  slaves  under 
the  Incas,  and  as  slaves  they  had  passed  into  the  hands 
of  the  Spaniards.  Indians  de  guerra  were  prisoners 
of  war,  whom  it  was  considered  rightful  to  enslave. 
But  to  gratify  their  cupidity,  the  Spaniards  made  pris- 
oners of  Indians  who  had  never  fought  nor  even 
dreamed  of  resistance.  The  slightest  provocation  on 
the  part  of  an  Indian  tribe,  sufficed  to  declare  war 
against  them,  and  to  reduce  them  to  slavery.  These 
Indians  de  guerra  it  was  lawful  to  mark  with  the  brand- 

1 Deed  of  foundation,  dated  August  28,  1534. 


ENSLAVING  THE  INDIANS. 


385 


ing  iron.1  In  Quito,  however,  the  Spaniards  do  not 
seem  to  have  long  continued  to  call  them  Indios  de 
guerra , but  following  the  ancient  custom  of  the  coun- 
try, called  them  Yanaconas  also.  The  Indians  de  paz 
were  apportioned  among  the  conquerors  in  proportion 
to  their  rank,  merit,  and  infantry-  or  cavalry-service 
(mounted  men  always  being  entitled  to  a larger  share), 
so  as  to  give  to  each  settler  a certain  number  of  labor- 
ers  corresponding  to  the  quantity  of  his  arable  lands, 
mines,  or  other  possessions.  This  proceeding  of  appor- 
tioning Indians  among  their  new  masters,  was  called 
“ repartimiento”  It  will  have  to  be  distinguished 
from  the  subsequent  signification  of  the  term,  when  it 
was  made  to  express  forced  sales  of  a variety  of  articles 
which  the  Indians  were  compelled  to  buy  at  prices 
fixed  by  the  sellers  themselves,  the  corregidors.  Qf 
this  I have  already  spoken. 

From  what  we  have  seen,  it  will  be  clear  that  it 
made  very  little  difference  in  point  of  fact,  whether 
the  Indians  resisted  or  not.  They  were  made  slaves 
in  either  case,  with  the  difference  only  that  if  they  had 
resisted,  they  could  be  marked  with  the  branding  iron. 

1 “ However,  in  1528,  if  not  before,  a great  step  was  taken  which 
affected,  both  slaves  of  ransom  and  slaves  of  war.  This  was  that  the 
government  should  be  responsible  for  the  branding  of  slaves,  and  that  it 
should  not  be  done  by  private  persons.  As  this  is  a very  important  piece 
of  legislation,  and  is  briefly  expressed,  it  may  be  given  in  full:  ‘ By  reason 
of  the  disorder  in  making  slaves,  and  selling  free  Indians  that  are  not 
slaves,  it  is  commanded  that  whosoever  shall  possess  Indians  whom  he 
asserts  to  be  slaves,  shall  present  them  before  the  authorities  (la  justicia) 
in  the  place  where  the  royal  officers  may  be,  and  show  the  title  or  cause 
why  these  men  are  slaves;  and  the  authorities  approving,  the  slaves  shall 
be  inscribed  by  a scrivener  and  branded  with  an  iron  which  only  the 
authorities  shall  keep , and  no  private  person.  The  Indian  who  is  found  to 
have  been  made  a slave  unjustly,  let  him  be  set  at  liberty,  and  notification 
made  by  the  public  crier.’  This  document  was  executed  at  Madrid  on  the 
19th  of  September,  1528,  and  is  signed  by  Cobos,  the  Secretary  of  State.” 

Helps’  Spanish  Conquest , vol.  iii.,p.  120  and  121  (American  edition). 

25 


386  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


To  justify  the  enslaving  of  harmless  and  peaceable 
Indians,  a fiction  was  resorted  to.  It  was  necessary  to 
convert  them  to  the  Catholic  faith.  This,  of  course, 
the  Spaniards  had  to  do.  A number  of  Indians  were 
therefore  allotted,  or  to  adopt  the  term  then  in  use, 
recommended  ( encomendados ) to  each  principal  con- 
queror, for  the  purpose  of  being  instructed  by  him  in 
the  Catholic  religion.  In  return  for  this  infinite  bless- 
ing,  they  had  to  repay  their  instructors  with  their  labor 
and  services.  This  is  as  short  an  explanation  of  the 
original  character  of  the  system  of  encomiendas  in 
Peru,  as  the  nature  of  the  subject  allows.1  It  varied 
in  the  different  colonies  according  to  circumstances  too 
numerous  to  mention.  The  documents  by  which  the 
Spanish  Governors  sometimes  surrendered  entire  vil- 
lages of  freeborn  Indians  into  perpetual  slavery,  were 
generally  drawn  up  in  the  following  form  : “ To  you, 

A.  B.,  I recommend  by  way  of  deposit Indians 

of  the  village  of ; and  I do  authorize  you  to  use 

them  in  your  mines  and  on  your  farms,  extracting  gold, 
and  availing  yourself  of  their  services,  on  condition  that 
you  take  care  to  instruct  them  in  the  Christian  doc- 
' trine  and  other  things  concerning  our  holy  Catholic 
faith ; because,  thereby,  I exonerate  the  conscience  of 
His  Majesty,  the  King  our  lord,  and  my  own.”  2 

The  authority  to  employ  those  Indians  in  the  mines 
and  on  the  farms  of  their  masters,  was  always  made 
use  of  to  the  very  letter.  The  condition,  however,  to 
instruct  them  in  the  doctrines  of  Christianity,  was  but 
poorly  complied  with.  The  encomenderos  (so  the  con- 
querors to  whom  Indians  had  thus  been  assigned  were 
called)  worked  their  unfortunate  Indians  to  death, 

1 Solorzano,  Politica  Indiana , vol.  i.,  lib.  iii.,  cap.  1,  §§  3 and  4. 

2 Las  Casas. 


MORE  SLAVES  IN  QUITO. 


387 


without  troubling  themselves  whether  they  learned 
any  thing  about  Christianity  or  not.1  Las  Casas  gives 
many  instances  of  the  recklessness  of  the  Spaniards 
in  this  respect.  He  tells  us  of  an  encomendero  who 
confiscated  the  golden  idols  which  his  Indians  had, 
and  afterward  compelled  them  to  buy  copper  idols 
from  him,  which  he  had  seized  in  another  village. 
“ What  could  these  Indians  learn  from  the  Span- 
iards ? ” exclaims  the  pious  Las  Casas,  “ the  latter  in 
many  instances  being  ignorant  of  the  ten  command- 
ments, and  unable  to  recite  the  Credo.  The  Indians 
soon  learn  to  content  themselves  with  one  wife,  while 
the  Spaniards  often  keep  a dozen  concubines.  The  In- 
dians are  humble  and  docile  ; they  do  not  rob  or  kill ; 
but  the  Spaniards  are  proud  and  vain,  addicted  to 
profane  svrearing,  and  rob  and  kill  with  inhuman 
cruelty.”2 

After  this  digression,  which  is  equally  applicable  to 
the  early  history  of  most  of  the  Spanish- American 
colonies,  I must  return  to  what  exclusively  belongs  to 
the  history  of  .Quito.  Having  apportioned  lands  and 
Indians  among  themselves,  the  conquerors  soon  found 
it  necessary  to  secure  the  possession  and  augment  the 
number  of  their  new  slaves.  Indians,  vrho  at  the 
time  of  Benalcazar’s  arrival  at  Riobamba  were  resi- 
dents of  the  province  of  Quito,  were  therefore  declared 
to  belong  to  the  province,  although  they  might  have 
left  it  afterward,  and  they  wrere  commanded  to  re- 
turn.3 Pizarro  was  petitioned  to  send  a branding  iron 
to  Quito,  with  which  to  mark  slaves,  “ in  order  that 
the  caciques  and  Indians  who,  in  these  provinces,  had 

1 Solorzano,  Politico.  Indiana , vol.  i.,  lib.  iii.,  cap.  1,  § 8. 

2 Ut  supra , vol.  i.,  p.  269. 

8 Quito  Municipality  Records , January  22,  1535. 


388  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


given  in  their  obedience  to  His  Majesty  the  King, 
might  better  remain  in  the  same  and  become  afraid  to 
revolt ; ” 1 and  to  send  the  rules  and  regulations  for  the 
branding  of  slaves. 

An  ordinance  was  passed  prohibiting  the  exportation 
of  Indians  from  the  province  without  a license  from 
the  captain,  under  the  penalty  of  ten  pesos  of  gold,2  or 
one  hundred  lashes  in  case  of  non-payment.3  In  the 
preamble  to  this  ordinance,  it  was  stated  that  many 
persons  were  in  the  habit  of  exporting  their  Indian 
slaves  in  chains,  or  with  clogs  Repos')  fastened  to  their 
feet,  which,  to  the  honor  of  the  municipality  be  it  said, 
was  also  prohibited.4  Fugitive  slave  laws,  too,  were 
not  wanting.  An  Alguazil  del  Campo  was  appointed  5 
to  catch  runaways.  His  fees  were  as  follows : For  an 
Indian  de  reparti  mien  to,  four  reals  in  gold;  foraYana- 
cona,  half  a ducat ; for  a Nicaragua  Indian,  one  peso, 
and  for  a negro,  two  pesos  of  gold.  The  negroes  did 
not  fail  to  come  in  for  their  share  of  legislation  char- 
acteristic of  the  heroes  of  those  times.  A negro  who 
should  run  away  from  his  master  was  to  suffer  castra- 
tion for  the  first  offense,  and  to  lose  his  life  for  the 
second.6  An  Indian  woman  who  had  connection  with 
a negro,  was  to  have  her  hair  cut  off  and  receive  one 
hundred  lashes,  while  the  negro  was  to  suffer  castra- 
tion.7 

Side  by  side  with  these  and  other  barbarous  provis- 

1 Quito  Municipality  Records , October  9,  1536. 

2 One  peso  of  gold  must  have  been  equivalent  to  at  least  an  ounce  of 
that  metal. 

3 Municipality  Records , July  19,  1535. 

4 Ibid.,  vol.  i.,  page  73.  5 May  22,  1538. 

6 March  26,  1538. 

7 “ Que  la  India  que  se  acostare  con  negro  sea  castigada  con  cien  azotes 
junta  a la  picota,  i trasquilada  6 cortada  del  pelo,  d qual  negro  se  le  corte 
el  miembro  genital  <5  companones.”  — January  26,  1551. 


REGULATION  OF  PRICES. 


889 


ions,  we  find  that  meddling  spirit  of  legislation  which 
interfered  with  every  thing,  regulated  every  thing,  and 
left  nothing  to  individual  judgment,  energy,  or  enter- 
prise. As  none  of  the  English  authors  who  have  writ- 
ten on  the  Spanish  conquest  in  America,  has  paid  any 
attention  to  the  social  and  domestic  life  of  the  con- 
querors, and  the  institutions  they  established  after  what 
they  called  “ pacifying  ” the  country,  I shall  try  to 
present  some  of  those  enactments,  which  may,  with 
great  propriety,  be  called  the  blue  laws  of  Spanisli- 
America.1 

Immediately  after  the  foundation  of  Quito,  the  Ca- 
bildo  commenced  to  regulate  all  the  affairs  of  daily  life. 
The  charges  of  tavern-keepers  were  fixed  by  law, 
without  any  reference  to  the  fluctuations  in  the  market 
price  of  provisions.2  Bakers  were  ordered  to  give 
thirty-five  pounds  of  bread  for  one  peso  of  gold,  under 
penalty  of  ten  pesos.3  It  was  declared  an  offense  to 
charge  more  for  a fanega  of  wheat  than  two  pesos , or 
one  peso  for  the  fanega  of  indian-corn.  The  shoe- 
makers were  commanded  to  make  shoes  at  two  pesos 
two  tomines  the  pair,  and  boots  at  foury>esos.  In  1537, 
the  prices  of  blacksmith  work  were  regulated  by  law, 
and  the  transgressors  threatened  with  heavy  penalties.4 

1 In  this  connection  I cannot  refrain  from  acknowledging  my  great 
obligations  to  Dr  Pablo  Herrera,  formerly  Minister  for  Foreign  Affairs, 
whose  thorough  knowledge  of  the  antiquities  of  Quito,  and  the  colonial 
history  of  Ecuador,  as  well  as  the  amiable  kindness  with  which  he  placed 
his  manuscript  notes,  the  result  of  long  continued  studies  and  profound 
researches,  at  my  disposal,  enabled  me  to  find  my  way  through  the  Muni- 
cipality Records,  which,  without  this  clew,  it  would  have  cost  me  too  much 
time  and  labor  to  examine.  Dr.  Herrera  is  the  author  of  a very  interest- 
ing work  entitled  Ensayo  sobre  la  Historia  de  la  Literatura  Ecuatoriana , 
of  which,  however,  but  the  first  number  has  been  published.  It  is  to  be 
hoped  that  the  author  will  not  withhold  the  other  parts  of  the  work  from 
the  public. 

2 Herrera,  dec.  v.,  lib.  x.,  cap.  11. 

8 Municipality  Records.  4 Ibid. 


390  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


It  was  declared  unlawful 1 to  leave  the  city  without  a 
permit  or  order  from  the  Lieutenant-Governor ; of- 
fenders to  be  fined  fifty  pesos.  Persons  who  were  out 
of  Quito  during  the  Christmas  or  Easter  festivals,  in- 
curred a fine  of  ten  pesos?  Under  penalty  of  death 
and  confiscation  of  property,  it  was  ordained  that  no- 
body should  barter  or  buy  gold,  silver,  or  pearls,  from 
an  Inchan,  except  in  presence  of  the  royal  veedor 
(superintendent),  whose  duty  it  was  to  see  that  the 
transaction  was  not  against  the  will  of  the  Indian,  and 
that  the  king  was  not  defrauded  of  his  fifth.3  This 
latter  seems  to  have  been  the  principal  consideration,  for 
the  conquerors  were  certainly  not  overscrupulous  with 
regard  to  the  consent  of  the  Indians.  The  sale  and 
exportation  of  horses  and  mares  was  likewise  prohib- 
ited,4 under  penalty  of  forfeiting  the  price  obtained  on 
such  sale.  It  was  declared  that  the  exportation  of 
horses  might  lead  to  troubles  and  insurrections  among 
the  Indians.  The  sale  or  barter  of  arms  was  also  pro- 
hibited. 

Oil  the  16th  of  August,  1538,  it  appeared  to  the 
Cabildo  that  “ since  the  arrival  at  Quito  of  a certain 
attorney,  Bachiler  Guevara  (about  a month  before, 
more  or  less),  many  suits  had  been  stirred  up  whereby, 
as  there  was  no  other  attorney  in  the  town,  many  per- 
sons might  lose  their  legal  rights.”  He  was,  there- 
fore, “ forbidden  to  exercise  his  profession,  or  to  give 
advice  or  his  opinion  on  any  controversy  or  matter  of 
litigation,”  under  the  penalty  of  one  hundred  pesos 
for  the  first  offense,  and  a year’s  banishment  from 
Quito  for  the  second  offense.5  An  individual  who 

1 Municipality  Records , May  20, 1535.  2 Ibid.  November  5,  1537. 

3 Ibid.  May  20,  1535.  ' 4 ibid.  May  31, 1535. 

5 “The  world  is  so  torn  by  differences  of  opinion  that  it  is  always  very 
interesting,  and  somewhat  delightful,  to  find  any  one  subject  on  which 


BLUE  LAWS. 


391 


knew  the  art  of  smelting  precious  metals,  was  pro- 
hibited from  leaving:  the  town  until  another  should 
have  arrived  competent  to  take  his  place. 

After  the  ringing  of  the  night-bell  ( toque  de  la 
queda')  nobody  was  allowed  to  show  himself  in  the 
streets.1  If  the  transgressor  should  be  found  armed, 
his  arms  were  to  be  taken  from  him  and  confiscated. 
If  unarmed,  he  should  for  the  first  offense  be  put  in 
the  stocks  (en  el  cepo  de  los  pies)  for  three  days ; for 
the  second  offense  for  six  days,  and  for  the  third  he 
should  be  banished  the  city  for  four  months.  (Even 
as  late  as  the  commencement  of  this  century,  persons 
were  liable  to  be  arrested  for  showing:  themselves  after 
the  ringing  of  the  niglit-bell  in  the  streets  of  Quito.) 
Nobody  was  allowed  to  have  himself  carried  about  in 
a hammock  by  Indians,  except  in  cases  of  sickness. 
Fine,  ten  pesos  of  gold.2 

On  the  2 2d  of  January,  1535,  it  was  ordained  that, 
considering;  the  danger  of  conflagrations,  on  accoimt  of 
the  many  Indian  ranchos  (huts)  within  the  city  limits, 
every  property-holder  should,  within  eight  days,  de- 
stroy, or  cause  to  be  destroyed,  all  the  ranchos  on  his 
lot  or  lots  (solar es),  under  penalty  of  forfeiting  for 
every  offense  the  best  Indian  woman  in  his  possession , 


there  is  singular  unanimity.  Now  there  was  something  wherein  the 
Spanish  conquerors  and  colonists  universally  agreed.  Biscayan,  Estre- 
maduran,  Andalusian,  Castilian  — men  who  had  various  points  of  differ- 
ence, and  numberless  provincial  jealousies — concurred  in  one  request. 
As  soon  as  any  colony  was  in  the  least  degree  established  in  the  New 
World,  the  colonists,  almost  in  their  first  communication  Avith  their  sov- 
ereign, were  sure  to  entreat  him  to  prevent  lawyers  from  coming  out  to 
them.”  — Helps'  Spanish  Conquest , vol.  iii.,  p.  24  (American  edition). 
These  petitions  were  at  first  complied  with.  — Villaroel,  Govierno  Eclesi - 
r istico  Pacificio  y Union  de  los  dos  Cuchillos  Pontijico  y Reyio , vol.  i.,  quest, 
xi.,  art.  i.,  n.  3 and  4.  Solorzano,  Politico  Indiana , vol.  ii.,  lib.  v.,  cap.  3, 

§ i- 

1 August  1,  1537.  2 Municipality  Records , March  8,  1538. 


392  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 

whom  the  captain  was  thereupon  to  assign  to  whomsoever 
else  he  might  think  proper} 

To  judge  from  the  wording  of  this  ordinance,  the 
early  settlers  must  have  lived  in  a state  quite  the  con- 
trary of  celibacy.  The  existence  of  white  women  at 
Quito  can  hardly  be  traced  to  an  earlier  period  than 
the  year  1546,  when  the  ancient  historians  mention 
the  compassion  of  the  women  for  the  Viceroy,  Blasco 
Nunez  Vela,  on  the  day  before  he  went  out  to  fight 
Gonzalo  Fizarro. 

On  the  8tli  of  June,  1537,  it  appeared  to  the  Ca- 
bildo  that  some  persons,  “ and  their  servants  and  In- 
dians,” were  in  the  habit  of  diverting  the  water- 
courses which  furnished  the  town  with  water.  It  was 
therefore  ordained  that  every  person  so  offending 
should,  if  he  were  a Spaniard,  be  fined  thirty  pesos ; 
if  he  were  an  Indian,  his  nose  was  to  be  cut  off.2  The 
height  of  kitchen  walls  was  prescribed  by  law.3  No- 
body was  allowed  to  visit  farms  or  Indian  repartimien- 
tos  in  the  country,  without  a license  from  the  Lieut- 
enant-General.4 A hammer  was  not  to  be  sold  for 
more  than  one  peso,  etc.,  etc. 

Notwithstanding  all  these  protective  provisions,  the 
first  settlers  of  Quito  remained  poor,  and  poverty  is 
their  constant  complaint  until  long  after  the  final 
pacification  of  the  country,  following  the  civil  wars. 
On  the  25tli  June,  1535,  the  municipality  enacted 
that,  as  the  conquerors  and  first  settlers  of  Quito  had 
gotten  very  little  in  return  for  all  their  trouble,  and 
that  what  they  had  obtained  was  divided  among  them, 
any  treasures  that  might  afterwards  be  discovered 
should  belong  to  the  actual  inhabitants  of  Quito,  with- 

1 Municipality  Records , March  8, 1558.  2 Ibid. 

* Ibid.  January  3,  1537.  4 Ibid.  November  5,  1537. 


BARBARITY,  INJUSTICE,  AND  MURDER. 


893 


out  a right  of  participation  in  those  who  had  left  the 
town  to  engage  in  other  conquests.  On  the  9th  Octo- 
ber, 1536,  when  the  Municipality  requested  Pizarro 
for  the  branding  iron,  they  again  referred  to  their  pov- 
erty. On  the  4th  April,  153T,  the  Cabildo,  in  address- 
ing the  Lieutenant-Governor,  referred  to  the  small 
profits  which  the  settlement  had  yielded ; and  the 
Lieutenant-Governor  replied,  that  four  years  had  passed 
without  their  having  obtained  gold,  or  other  things  of 
value.  The  idea  that  the  title  and  right  of  possession 
to  the  treasures  so  eagerly  coveted,  were  in  the  Indi- 
ans, their  legitimate  owners,  does  not  seem  ever  to 
have  entered  the  minds  of  the  conquerors. 

When  Benalcazar  quitted  Quito,  to  undertake  the 
conquest  of  Popayan,  he  left  Pedro  de  Puelles  as 
Lieutenant-Governor  in  his  place.  This  Puelles  seems 
to  have  been  a man  after  the  heart  of  the  Municipality. 
In  their  petition  to  Pizarro,  to  which  I have  already 
referred,  they  pray  that  he  may  be  continued  in  his 
office,  for  “ by  executing  the  suspicious  caciques,  and 
by  the  killing  which  he  ordered  to  be  done  among  the 
Ingas,  he  has  made  the  natives  fear  him,  and  they  now 
hold  him  in  great  respect.”  1 What  a history  of  bar- 
barity, injustice,  and  murder,  these  few  lines  contain  ! 
Men  put  to  death  on  the  mere  suspicion  of  desiring  to 
vindicate  their  natural  rights  ! Por  la  matanza  que  en 
los  Ingas  hizo  hacer  ! By  the  killing  which  he  ordered 
to  be  done  among  the  Indians,  they  learned  to  fear 
him,  and  now  hold  him  in  great  respect ! And  that 
man  must  be  retained  as  the  first  officer  of  a new  city  ! 
That  quality  is  expressly  referred  to  in  order  to  recom- 
mend him  to  his  superior  ! These  are  the  men  who 
were  to  convert  the  heathens  by  their  example,  and  to 
1 October  9, 1536. 


394 


FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


teach  civilization  to  the  Children  of  the  Sun ! Let  us 
drop  the  curtain  on  this  horrible  picture  ! 

Benalcazar’s  successor  in  the  government  of  Quito 
was  Gonzalo  Pizarro,  the  brother  of  Francisco,  the 
discoverer,  while  Benalcazar,  to  his  great  dissatisfac- 
tion, was  indemnified  with  the  government  of  Popayan. 
Francisco  Pizarro  had  undertaken  the  conquest  of 
Peru  in  partnership  with  Diego  de  Almagro.  They 
soon  fell  out,  and  made  war  on  each  other.  Pizarro 
was  cunning  and  treacherous  : Almagro  frank  and 
unwary.  The  result  was,  that  after  they  had,  time  and 
again,  renewed  and  sealed  their  friendship  with  solemn 
oaths  on  the  Eucharist,  Pizarro  captured  and  executed 
Almagro.  He  was,  in  his  turn,  assassinated  by  the 
friends  of  the  latter,  who  proclaimed  Almagro’s  son  as 
their  governor.  This  young  man,  however,  was  de- 
feated, taken  prisoner,  and  executed  by  the  royal  com- 
missioner, Yaca  de  Castro ; and  peace  would  have 
been  restored  had  it  not  been  for  the  ordenanzas  reales , 
a code  of  laws  prescribed  by  the  crown,  for  the  gov- 
ernment of  the  Indies  and  the  protection  and  personal 
liberty  of  the  Indians.  And  here  we  are  struck  by  a 
remarkable  phenomenon.  The  Spanish  colonists,  whose 
civile  and  abject  loyalty  to  their  king  no  jictjjOyrannv 
c o lYd  hawesn^enTro^  11T  rebellion  agains^J^pi^ecause 

They  would  not  have 
foVwll  faFT-Il  They 

' have  risen  against  oppression,  but  they 
They  would  not  have  lifted  an  arm  to 


defend  the  rights  of  man,  but  they  drew  the  sword  for 
Thn  prm^eTTTramp Im g upon^mem.  To  an  irre- 
sponsible despotism,  to  arbitrary  taxation,  and  to  the 
horrors  of  the  Inquisition  they  submitted  ; but  to  laws 
declaring  the  Indians  to  be  freemen,  they  would  not 


COLONISTS  STRIKE  FOR  SLAVERY. 


896 


submit.  It  was  a revolution  surpassed  in  iniquity  only 
by  the  rebellion  of  those  who,  in  our  own  age,  have 
risen,  not  against  a bad  and  despotic,  but  against  a 
good  and  popular  government,  and  not  to  defend  or 
achieve  liberty,  but  to  preserve  and  perpetuate  slav- 
ery. 

Gonzalo  Pizarro  was  proclaimed  Protector  of  Peru, 
and  placed  at  the  head  of  the  revolution.  On  the 
plain  to  the  north  of  Quito,  he  met  and  defeated  the 
scanty  forces  of  the  Viceroy,  Blasco  Nunez  Vela  (Jan- 
uary 18,  1546),  who  had  come  to  enforce  the  orde - 
nanzas.  The  Viceroy  was  slain,  and  Benalcazar,  who 
alone  of  all  the  great  chieftains  had  sided  with  him,  not 
from  motives  of  humanity  and  justice,  but  from  mo- 
tives of  policy,  was  taken  prisoner ; but  subsequently 
released  by  Pizarro,  and  allowed  to  return  to  his  gov- 
ernment. The  court  of  Spain  thought  it  best  to  yield. 
It  would  not  have  yielded  a point  of  colonial  liberty, 
but  it  yielded  the  point  of  colonial  slavery.  The  priest 
La  Gasca  was  sent  out  to  pacify  the  country,  and 
brought  with  him  the  repeal  of  the  detested  ordi- 
nances. Gonzalo  Pizarro,  who  had  now,  but  too  late, 
conceived  the  plan  of  establishing  the  independence  of 
Peru,  and  placing  the  crown  on  his  own  head,  was 
defeated,  taken  prisoner,  and  executed  (1548).  He 
had  lost  almost  all  his  supporters.1  As  soon  as  the 
point  of  Indian  slavery  in  fact,  though  perhaps  not  in 

1 When  every  body  deserted  Gonzalo  Pizarro,  his  friend  at  Quito,  Pedro 
de  Puelles,  was  about  to  do  the  same.  But  before  he  had  time  to  carry 
out  the  plan  he  had  formed,  he  was  assassinated  in  his  bed  by  Rodrigo  de 
Salazar,  another  treacherous  friend,  who  wanted  to  win  the  good  opinion 
of  La  Gasca  by  showing  great  zeal  in  the  king’s  cause.  Under  the  pre- 
text to  invite  Puelles  to  mass,  he  gained  admission  into  his  bedroom,  and 
there  murdered  him,  with  the  assistance  of  his  fellow  conspirators.  For 
this  meritorious  deed  the  Cabildo  elected  him  Lieutenant-Governor  in 
place  of  his  victim.  The  early  history  of  Peru  is  written  in  blood ; and  it 


896  FOUR  YEARS  AMONG  SPANISH-AMERICANS. 


name,  was  conceded,  the  colonists  returned  to  theii 
loyalty.  Another  effort  was  subsequently  made  by 
the  crown  to  ameliorate  the  condition  of  the  Indians, 
but  it  led  to  new  convulsions  and  insurrections ; and 
although  Hernandez  Giron,  another  revolutionary 
leader,  was.  defeated  and  executed  (1554),  the  cause 
of  the  natives  was  doomed.  Laws,  it  is  true,  were 
continually  enacted  in  their  favor,  but  they  were  either 
not  executed  at  all,  or  in  a spirit  of  willful  misconstruc- 
tion which  turned  good  into  evil,  and  instead  of  reliev- 
ing, added  to  the  misery  of  the  Indians.  They  were 
given  up  to  a system  of  oppression,  injustice,  lawless- 
ness, cruelty,  and  degradation  which  is  almost  without 
a parallel  in  the  history  of  modern  nations. 

And  here  ends  the  first  period  of  my  history.  I had 
collected  the  materials  for  a detailed  review  of  Spanish 
colonial  civilization,  portions  of  which  I have  already 
written,  because  I intended  to  add  it  to  this  volume. 
I also  intended  to  review  the  causes  which  led  to  the 
War  of  Independence,  that  war  itself,  the  men  and 
ideas  it  produced,  and  the  bloody  history  of  the  repub- 
lics which  sprung  from  it.  But  I did  not  want  to 
delav  the  publication  of  this  volume  unnecessarily. 
On  the  success  with  which  it  meets,  my  future  labors 
will  depend.  If  it  is  well  received,  I shall  endeavor  to 
carry  out  my  original  plan.  If  not,  it  will  be  an  indica- 
tion to  me  that  either  the  public  does  not  feel  sufficient 
interest  in  Spanish-Ameriean  subjects  at  this  time,  or 
that  my  manner  of  treating  them  has  not  proved  satis- 
factory. I have  done  my  best,  however  little  it  may 

is  remarkable  that  most  of  those  who  had  heartlessly  butchered  the  In- 
dians, received  their  due  by  being  murdered  by  their  own  accomplices  in 
oppression  and  cruelty. 


CONCLUSION. 


897 


be.  I have  labored  hard,  and  I am  weak  enough  to 
confess  that  a failure  would  be  a severe  disappointment 
to  me,  leaving  me  no  other  compensation  for  years  of 
patient  research  and  study,  but  the  cold  comfort  of  the 
stoic  : “ Non  sibi  res , sed  se  submitter  e rebus” 


APPENDIX. 


VALVERDE’S  “ GUIDE  ” TO  THE  INCA  TREASURE  BURIED 
IN  THE  LLANGANATI  MOUNTAINS. 

The  following  is  Mr.  Spruce’s  translation  of  the  “ Derro- 
tero  ” of  Val verde,  referred  to  in  Chapter  V.  of  this  work. 
The  introductory  remark,  or  title  (not  in  very  choice  Castil- 
ian), is  that  of  the  copyist. 

(Guide  or  Route,  which  Val  verde  left  in  Spain,  where 
death  overtook  him,  having  gone  from  the  mountains  of 
Llanganati,  which  he  entered  many  times,  and  carried  off  a 
great  quantity  of  gold ; and  the  king  commanded  the  corre- 
ffidors  of  Tacunora  and  Ambato  to  search  for  the  treasure : 
which  order  and  guide  are  preserved  in  one  of  the  offices  of 
Tacunga.) 

“ Placed  in  the  town  of  Pillaro,  ask  for  the  farm  of 
Moya,  and  sleep  (the  first  night)  a good  distance  above  it ; 
and  ask  there  for  the  mountain  of  Guapa,  from  whose  top, 
if  the  day  be  fine,  look  to  the  east,  so  that  thy  back  be 
towards  the  town  of  Ambato,  and  from  thence  thou  shalt 
perceive  the  three  Cerros  Llanganati,  in  the  form  of  a tri- 
angle, on  whose  declivity  there  is  a lake,  made  by  hand,  into 
which  the  ancients  threw  the  gold  they  had  prepared  for  the 
ransom  of  the  Inca  when  they  heard  of  his  death.  From 
the  same  Cerro  Guapa  thou  inayesfc  see  also  the  forest,  and 
in  it  a clump  of  Sangurimas  standing  out  of  the  said  forest, 
and  another  clump  which  they  call  Flechcis  (arrows),  and 
these  clumps  are  the  principal  mark  for  the  which  thou 
shalt  aim,  leaving  them  a little  on  the  left  hand.  Go  for- 


400 


APPENDIX. 


ward  from  Guapa  in  the  direction  and  with  the  signals  indi 
cated,  and  a good  way  ahead,  having  passed  some  cattle- 
farms,  thou  shalt  come  on  a wide  morass,  over  which  thou 
must  cross,  and  coming  out  on  the  other  side  thou  shalt  see 
on  the  left-hand,  a short  way  off,  a jucal  on  a hill-side, 
through  which  thou  must  pass.  Having  got  through  the 
jucal , thou  wilt  see  two  small  lakes  called  “ Los  Anteojos  ” 
(the  spectacles)  from  having  between  them  a point  of  land 
like  to  a nose. 

“ From  this  place  thou  mayest  again  descry  the  Cerros 
Llanganati,  the  same  as  thou  sawest  them  from  the  top  of 
Guapa,  and  I warn  thee  to  leave  the  said  lakes  on  the  left, 
and  that  in  front  of  the  point  or  u nose  ” there  is  a plain, 
which  is  the  sleeping-place.  There  thou  must  leave  thy 
horses,  for  they  can  go  no  further.  Following  now  on  foot 
in  the  same  direction,  thou  shalt  come  on  a great  black  lake, 
the  which  leave  on  thy  left  hand,  and  beyond  it  seek  to 
descend  along  the  hill-side  in  such  a way  that  thou  mayest 
reach  a ravine,  down  which  comes  a waterfall : and  here 
thou  shalt  find  a bridge  of  three  poles,  or  if  it  do  not  still 
exist  thou  shalt  put  another  in  the  most  convenient  place 
and  pass  over  it.  And  having  gone  on  a little  way  in  the 
forest,  seek  out  the  hut  which  served  to  sleep  in,  or  the  re- 
mains of  it.  Having  passed  the  night  there,  go  on  thy  way 
the  following  day  through  the  forest  in  the  same  direction, 
till  thou  reach  another  deep  dry  ravine,  across  which  thou 
must  throw  a bridge  and  pass  over  it  slowly  and  cautiously, 
for  the  ravine  is  very  deep ; that  is,  if  thou  succeed  not  in 
finding  the  pass  which  exists.  Go  forward  and  look  for  the 
signs  of  another  sleeping-place,  which,  I assure  thee,  thou 
canst  not  fail  to  see  in  the  fragments  of  pottery  and  other 
marks,  because  the  Indians  are  continually  passing  along 
there.  Go  on  thy  way,  and  thou  shalt  see  a mountain  which 
is  all  of  margasitas  (pyrites),  the  which  leave  on  the  left 
hand,  and  I warn  thee  that  thou  must  go  round  it  in  this 
fashion  eg.  On  this  side  thou  wilt  find  a pajonal  (pasture) 


APPENDIX. 


401 


in  a small  plain  which  having  crossed  thou  wilt  come  on  a 
canon  between  two  hills,  which  is  the  way  of  the  Inca. 
From  thence  as  thou  goest  along  thou  shalt  see  the  entrance 
of  the  socabon  (tunnel),  which  is  in  the  form  of  a church- 
porch.  Having  come  through  the  canon,  and  gone  a good 
distance  beyond,  thou  wilt  perceive  a cascade  which  descends 
from  an  offshoot  of  the  Cerro  Llanganati,  and  runs  into  a 
quaking  bog  on  the  right  hand ; and  without  passing  the 
stream  in  the  said  bog  there  is  much  gold,  so  that  putting  in 
thy  hand  what  thou  shalt  gather  at  the  bottom  is  grains  of 
gold.  To  ascend  the  mountain,  leave  the  bog  and  go  along 
to  the  right,  and  pass  above  the  cascade,  going  round  the 
offshoot  of  the  mountain.  And  if  by  chance  the  mouth  of 
the  socabon  be  closed  with  certain  herbs  which  they  call 
“ salvaje”  remove  them,  and  thou  wilt  find  the  entrance. 
And  on  the  left-hand  side  of  the  mountain  thou  mayest  see 
the  4 Gaayra  ’ (for  thus  the  ancients  called  the  furnace  where 
they  founded  metals),  which  is  nailed  with  golden  nails. 
And  to  reach  the  third  mountain,  if  thou  canst  not  pass  in 
front  of  the  socabon,  it  is  the  same  thing  to  pass  behind  it, 
for  the  water  of  the  lake  falls  into  it. 

“ If  thou  lose  thyself  in  the  forest,  seek  the  river,  follow 
it  on  the  right  bank  ; lower  down  take  to  the  beach,  and 
thou  wilt  reach  the  canon  in  such  sort  that,  although  thou 
seek  to  pass  it,  thou  wilt  not  find  where  ; climb,  therefore, 
the  mountain  on  the  right-hand,  and  in  this  manner  thou 
canst  by  no  means  miss  thy  way.” 

The  foreign  words  contained  in  the  foregoing  “ Derro- 
tero  ” are  explained  in  the  pamphlet  of  Mr.  Spruce,  to 
which  I must  refer  the  reader  for  particulars.  Mr.  Spruce 
also  gives  a description  of  the  localities  enumerated  in  the 
“ Guide.”  His  explanations  and  suggestions  may  prove  of 
great  value  to  some  enterprising  American  who  ventures  to 
explore  the  fastnesses  of  the  Llanganati  mountains,  in 
search  of  the  treasure.  The  question  is  highly  exciting,  and 
ought  to  be  solved. 


26 


DATE  DUE 


1 4 1994 

NOV  2 

4 !<W5 

JAM  1' 

3 1999 

GAYLORD 

PRINTED  IN  U.S.  A. 

F3714  Hassaurek.  F. 

.H352 


Bapst  Library 

Boston  College 


Chestnut  Hill,  Mass.  02167 


